The Weeping Willow
by Agent Willow Fenton-Banner
Summary: Sequel to The Willow Tree. Summary inside. Rated T. Written by Agent Willow Fenton-Banner and Jennythe3.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Rossi: YAY! A SEQUEL!

Jenny: YES!

Rossi: Should I put up the summary that I wrote?

Jenny: Yes.

Summary: (Continued from _The Willow Tree_)

Willow Sierra Banner – born Willow Sierra Fenton – has been 'dead' for two months because she failed to get out of the base in time when the bomb went off. That was right after M.O.D.O.K. shorted out her ghost powers.

Alex has been living a normal life in Amity Park, Illinois. The only thing not normal about her is that she has an 'inner voice' telling her that her name isn't Alex. She also has to live with the fact that she has no memories of a childhood, parents, siblings, school...

How is this amnesiac woman related to the dead, former half-ghost, half-human hybrid wife of the Hulk, and daughter of the new famous Avenger, Danny Phantom?

Rossi: It's pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Jenny: It is!

Rossi: So, where we starting off?

Jenny: [silent and whistles innocently] Wait, didn't we put an alien princess somewhere in the last story?

Rossi: Never went anywhere. Might make an appearance later, though. We just never really, uh, woke her up...

Jenny: She's still sleeping then, I guess.

Rossi: So, any ideas for starting off?

Jenny: Fighting a dragon?

Rossi: Why a dragon?

Jenny: I'm watching a T.V. show right now where they're fighting a dragon.

Rossi: [Sighs] Fine. I'll start. WE OWN NOTHING!

Note: Any memories Alex has will be edited somewhat, if they are memories from any chapter of _The Willow Tree_.

Playlist:

What Hurts The Most by Rascal Flatts

Here Comes Goodbye by Rascal Flatts

Life Is A Highway by Rascal Flatts

Thanks For The Memories by Fall Out Boy

Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy

Sugar, We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy

Get Out Alive by Three Days Grace

Somewhere I Belong by Linkin' Park

Lost in the Echo by Linkin' Park

My Polyvore (For anything after when Willow wakes up in the hospital the second time after her mission to Brazil):

000

Alex walked out of the shelter in Amity Park, Illinois.

The shelter was nothing special. A plain white building with a lot of people inside of it, and she was one of them. Though she tended to leave the shelter at the oddest of times.

Alex had knee length blonde hair and dull, forest green eyes that showed pain. Her skin was very pale, and she wore a tattered, navy blue, uniform.

Danny flew overhead, on patrol – lacking the usual spunk and happiness he got from flying.

The blonde haired girl saw Danny and decided that it would be a good idea to follow him, feeling some sort of connection that she couldn't place.

Danny continued flying until he could see the park – and one of the willow trees that was near the front. He immediately landed, tears forming.

Something flashed in Alex's mind, like a memory. She fell to the ground, clutching her head like she had a horrible headache, as the memory played on.

_Two women were in a park, with willow trees in the front. The first woman had black hair and deep emerald eyes. The second woman had shoulder length blonde hair and forest green eyes. She looked like Alex, but with shorter hair and brighter eyes._

Willow... Willow... I know you're out there. _The woman with black hair thought. _Don't make me look like an idiot! Respond... Lemme know your alive.

I don't think that you look like an idiot. _The woman that looked like Alex, but with shorter hair, replied._

_The black haired woman's jaw dropped open. _You're alive!

And closer than you might think. _Was the reply given._

_The black haired woman paused for a moment, eyes narrowing. _Willow... Where the hell are you!? Are you in Amity!?

Yes. I'm in Amity. Fury's going to kill me for this. I'm blowing my cover here. _Was the answer the blonde haired girl gave, but the black haired girl didn't know it was the blonde haired girl talking to her._

_The black haired woman snapped her head toward the blonde woman. _"A cover..." _She whispered. _"Willow!"

Then, the memory ended, but Alex remained on the ground, clutching her head. "Get _out_ of my head..." Was muttered repeatedly.

Danny heard her whispering and turned to face Alex, startled. "Are – are you okay?" He asked, trying to hide his sadness.

Alex heard his voice and opened her eyes to look at Danny. Her vision was blurry for a moment before everything cleared up in her field of vision. She sat up. "Y – yeah. I'm fine." She replied.

Danny recognized the voice from somewhere, and frowned slightly. "Are you sure?" He asked, quietly while trying to place the voice. _An old fan maybe? No... That wouldn't make sense. W – W – Willow...? No, no... She's dead... She's dead..._ He thought, panicking on the inside.

"Well... I think so..." Alex replied. "I mean, I've had no recollection of anything from before two months ago, but that's unrelated." She said. "I think..." She added on quietly.

Danny frowned. _Two months? It's been two months..._ That nagging voice in his head said, trying to tell him that this woman in front of him was his daughter, Willow.

"No childhood memories... Nothing. When I went to the hospital, they said it was amnesia..." She muttered.

Danny frowned further. _Amnesia makes sense!_ The voice pressed. "Oh... How do you think you got amnesia?"

"I probably hit my head... That's how most people get amnesia, right?" Alex asked. "When I woke up, it was cold... I didn't remember much of anything, not even my name, so I gave myself the name Alex..." She continued her explanation. "I was in Alaska, in the rubble of some building... The doctors said I lost all hearing in my left ear, and that something happened to my foot so that I needed either amputation or a brace." She said, looking down at her foot, which was in the brace. "I chose the brace, since they said that, with the brace, I have a small chance of my foot healing itself, since they have no clue what's wrong with it. They think I broke a bone, which damaged some nerves, ligaments, and muscles. The brace was made to keep the bone in place and heal it, hopefully, along with the nerves, ligaments, and muscles, so then I can walk again without it." She finished her explanation.

_It. Is. Willow!_ His thoughts screamed at him. _You idiot! She. Is. Willow! _"That's... Sad." He said.

"Yeah." Alex nodded. "I do remember a few things, though." She continued. "I'm married... to a man named Bruce." She said. "And I have family here, I think. It's all so fuzzy..."

Danny froze at the name Bruce. _She's Willow! She's Willow you moron!_ "Is his last name Banner...? The man, I mean..."

Alex closed her eyes and tried to think. "I – I can't remember..." She replied after a few minutes.

_His name is Bruce Banner, Willow! _A voice told Alex. _And you are Willow Sierra Fenton-Banner! Daughter of the man you are talking to, wife to Dr. Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk!_

_I told you to stop calling me that! _Alex replied. _Until it is proven to me what my real name is, my name is Alex!_

Danny frowned. _Dear voice in my head – there's no way to prove it's Willow..._ He told himself. _Shut up. It is Willow!_

"I can also remember a job... Vaguely, but it's still there..." Alex said. "It was some government agency... Something that had to do with a shield of some sorts."

He stiffened up. _She's Willow!_ His mind yelled.

Alex shook her head and got up. "I must be boring you with the story of whatever life I can remember, so I'll just be going."

"No you aren't." Danny said, still frowning. "I'm just... Well... Having an argument with myself."

Alex blinked her green eyes for a second. "I'm not boring you at all?" She asked, slightly confused. "That's... Odd." She said. "Most people don't want to hear what I have to say about my

'past life'."

"You aren't." Danny confirmed.

Alex sat back down on the curb of the sidewalk. "Is there anything else you want to know?" She asked. "I mean, I can't guarantee an answer, but I can try..." She added hastily.

Danny frowned slightly. "Have you ever heard the name Liliana anywhere...?" He asked.

Alex closed her eyes and tried to think. "I – I can remember someone with that name... But its sort of fuzzy."

Danny's mouth dropped open with shock. _She... She is Willow..._ Danny thought.

Another memory flitted through Alex's mind.

_A man in his late twenties, early thirties, held a bow in his hand. _"Okay. All you have to do is aim your weapon at your target, put your projectile there, in this case its an arrow, and you pull back the string. Then you let go." _The man showed the blonde haired woman what to do as well._

"A – are you sure this is safe, Clint?" _The woman asked._

"About as safe as Natasha is with Tony Stark." _The man – Clint – replied. _"Now, lets see you try it."

_The blonde haired woman nodded and did what she was told. The arrow landed just meters from the center of the bulls-eye._

"Good job, Wills!" _Another voice said with a clap._

_The woman – 'Wills' – spun around with a bow in her hand, arrow already in place. That was, until she noticed who it was. _"Stark." _She growled. _"How the hell did you get in here?"

"Nicky let me in. We had a meeting, and we just finished up so I decided to visit my friends." _The man – 'Stark' – explained. _"Where's Tasha, Barton?"

_Stark's answer came in the form of a red-headed woman kicking him in the groin. _"Right here." _She answered. _"And it's Natasha or Agent Romanoff to you, Stark."

This time, Alex wasn't grabbing at her head or anything. She just had a weird, far-off look. "Clint Barton... Natasha Romanoff... Tony Stark..." She looked down at her hands. "Were they my friends?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah..." He said quietly.

"D – do I know you?" Alex asked.

"I – I think so..." Danny answered. "It depends..." He looked up and at her. "What does the name Willow mean to you?" He asked.

"That's what my inner voice keeps calling me..." She said.

Danny's eyes widened. "Is that inner voice's name Drakon?" He asked.

_Yes! _Said voice replied.

"It said yes." Alex said.

Danny's eyes widened in shock.

"Who _are_ you?" Alex asked.

"I'm Danny Phantom slash Danny Fenton..." He answered. "And you might be Willow Fenton-Banner... A.K.A. my daughter... Who supposedly died in Alaska two months ago." He said.

"I – I do remember an explosion... And a guy with a huge head..." Alex/Willow said.

"That would be M.O.D.O.K." Danny said. "A villain who caused the explosion..."

Another memory came into play at that point.

_When Willow heard a whining sound, she turned around to see M.O.D.O.K. doing... Something._

"What are you doing?" _She asked._

"Preparing your doom!" _M.O.D.O.K. replied._

_Willow's eyes went wide._

_After five minutes, the bomb went off. But right before the blast, Willow's powers came back, and she turned invisible and intangible, but no one else knew that..._

"I can remember that name... He was created by a – a terrorist organization by the name of... Advanced Idea Mechanics. A.I.M. is a think-tank of scientists who thought that they could do better. He was formerly George Tarleton, until he gave himself an injection that mutated his body. His head grew so large that... His body couldn't hold it up, and so he got a special chair made..." She said, trying her hardest to remember things. "He gained psychic powers, and he had a special headband made that would amplify it and turn it into a beam that could destroy someones mind if exposed to it long enough. Then he made his own villain name... M.O.D.O.K. Which stands for... Mobile Organism Designed Only For Killing."

Danny nodded quietly. "Yeah... That would be him." He said.

"There was another place, connected to A.I.M... That was..." Alex/Willow closed her eyes, trying to remember. "They were... HYDRA. Founded during World War II, but Captain America took them down..."

Danny nodded. "Yeah. He did." He said.

"And I worked for... General... No, Director Nick Fury of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah. You worked for S.H.I.E.L.D." He stated.

"I – I think I'm remembering..." She said. "There are still a lot of gaps, but I think my memory is coming back."

Danny smiled. "What else do you remember?" He asked.

"I – I remember... A certain genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist becoming the priest at my wedding with Bruce..."

Danny smiled further. "Tony Stark." He said.

Willow nodded at the name. "And I remember someone that looked a lot like a Vampire... And he kidnapped me... Twice." She continued. "I hated him."

"Everyone hated that man. He's in custody now..." Danny said.

"I remember a man... He usually wore a suit and tie... He had thinning hair... I – I think he was my handler... Uh... Agent Phil Coulson, I think his name was." She said. "And there was a blonde haired man with a hammer, and his brother, who had black hair and tried to take over the world once."

Danny nodded. "That would be Thor and Loki. Loki is the one that tried to take over the world – but he turned a new leaf... And is kinda dating your sister."

Willow smiled. "I remember inviting Loki and Liliana for coffee with Bruce and me... Before the wedding. And there was an alien that Loki knew of..." She said.

Danny nodded. "We might wanna take this conversation somewhere less... Accessible to the public." He said.

Willow nodded. "You're right..."

"Should we go to FentonWorks or somewhere else?" He asked.

"Um..." She tried to remember what FentonWorks was. That's when another memory came through.

"Agent Barton, stand down." _Willow told Clint._

"Don't see how I can." _Clint replied, light purple sunglasses over his eyes already._

"_This is also normal. __**Stand down, **__Hawkeye." Willow pushed. After that, Clint notice the hidden threat of _'I will break all of your bows and destroy your nests if you shoot that arrow' _in her tone. She reserved that tone for Tony and himself, usually. So he, reluctantly, put his bow away, along with the arrows. _"Thank you for finally listening, Agent Barton." _She thanked._

_Liliana sighed, and rubbed her temples._

"That's it..." _They could hear Danny grumble. _"Can't you give me a break?"

_The battle noises stopped and Danny walked through the door with his hair messed up and some scratches and bruises, which were quickly healing up._

"Hey Dad." _Liliana said._

"You _do_ realize that your pet ghost squirrel almost got his head mounted?" _Danny pointed out to Liliana, and the squirrel frowned at that. _"Tell him to lay off the cookies."

"Fine..."

"Now that Skulker is done with, we can actually talk."

_The squirrel nodded at something Liliana said to him and an acorn was tossed to him._

"Dad, this is one of my partners, Agent Clinton Barton, A.K.A. Hawkeye." _Willow said. _"Another Avenger, as well." _She added._

"Nice to meet you. I'm Daniel Fenton slash Phantom, her dad."

"Nice to meet you too, sir." _Clint said with a nod._

_Danny nodded. _"Let me go get Sam..." _He said, flying upstairs._

"You're only acting like this because you're here while Widows in Europe." _Willow said to Clint._

"Am not." _Clint replied._

"Admit it. You love her. Everyone else at the tower, plus Coulson, knows it. You know how Tony points it out." _Willow shot back._

"Shut up, Arrow." _Clint grumbled._

"Oh, I struck a nerve, did I? THAT PROVES IT! CLINT BARTON IS IN LOVE WITH-" _Willow never got to finish as Clint tackled her to the ground in an attempt to get her to stop. But Willow slid out from under him with practiced ease. _"Fine. It must be a touchy subject, then." _She said with a smile. She waited for a few moments before she started to tease him again. _"_Clint and Natasha sitting in a tree, K – I – S – S – I – N – G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage." Willow sung with a smirk, dodging Clint's latest attempt to tackle her to the ground._

_A few minutes later, Danny came down with Sam in his arms. He set her down on the couch, then sat down next to her. She appeared to be slightly moody._

"Hey, mom." _Willow said._

"Hello Willow... And person I've never met before." _Her eyes narrowed._

"Agent Clinton Barton. You can call me Clint, ma'am." _Clint greeted._

"A.K.A. Hawkeye, an Avenger." _Willow said. _"Fury wanted me to bring him and his _girlfriend_ with me so then they could meet you guys. But Widow's in Europe on a mission, so it's only Birdie over here." _Willow said, smiling when she saw Clint's expression at the word _'girlfriend'_._

_Sam chuckled. _"Samantha Fenton. Call me Sam or else." _Her eyes narrowed, and the glow around her increased for a second._

_Clint nodded, glaring at Willow for her earlier teasing._

_Willow was still grinning brightly. She pushed Clint a bit. _"Birdie, you're so easy to tease. Though I still think you'd rather be in Europe right now with your girlfriend. OH! You both could go to Paris, it's the city of love, after all." _Clint continued to glare at her._

_Sam chuckled a little bit._

_Willow smiled. _"He's the fun one to tease. Whenever I tease Widow, nothing happens, which makes it dull. I mean, Widow isn't dull, no, she's fun. But I'd just like to tease her like I do with Birdie." _Willow poked Clint when she said _'Birdie'_._

"What goes on between Agent Romanoff and myself-" _Clint started to retort, but was broken off by Willow._

"'Isn't any my business', blah blah blah. Clint, I don't think you realize this but, I. Don't. Care. This teasing is all for fun, its not like I actually mean any of it." _Willow said._

_Liliana smiled._

_Clint sighed, but he had stopped glaring at Willow. _"I need a transfer..." _He muttered._

"You _know_ Fury would deny it." _Willow pointed out. Suddenly, Willow's phone began playing _'The Itsy Bitsy Spider'_, making Clint freeze up. _"Oh, look. It's your girlfriend." _Willow taunted with a smile._

"Nat would kill you if she heard that's what your ring tone for her is." _Clint pointed out._

"She already knows and she thinks it's funny, too." _She opened her _S.H.I.E.L.D._-issued cell phone and put it to her ear. _"Эй, нац. Вы считаете вашу цель?"

"_Да, но он сбежал. Директор ярость хочет, чтобы я с вами и Бартон._" _The woman on the other end replied._

"Что? Это здорово, Нат! Я имею в виду, а не часть, где он ушел, но вы знаете, что я имею в виду." _Willow said happily. _"Как долго?" _She asked._

"_Еще несколько минут._" _Natasha answered._

"Увидимся." _Willow hung up. _"Sorry. Nat and I are used to talking in Russian over the phone." _Willow explained. _"Good news, Nat's coming after all. No bad news, which is also good news." _She said with a smile. _"I better not find you and Nat making out, Barton." _Willow finished, earning a glare from Clint._

_Danny, Sam, and Liliana all chuckled while Saumo twitched, trying to remain quiet._

'Take This Job And Shove It' _could be heard and Willow sighed. _"What am I, a hotline for S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel?" _She asked, sarcastically, before picking up her cell phone again. _"What do you need, Director Fury? Agent Barton and I finished the mission."

"_I need a report._" _Fury replied._

"You want the report? Fine. Here it is, _sir_." _Willow growled slightly with the word_ 'sir' "Agent Barton and I have been here for _three days_, tracking Skipenhimer down until today, where Barton took the shot, though the target was taken care of. And he didn't listen to my orders to stand down." _She __explained. _"If that's all, I think we're done here." _She finished, hanging up her cell phone._

"We're both gonna be chewed out by Fury after this." _Clint pointed out._

"Mostly you, though. Hanging up on him isn't as bad as insubordination." _Willow argued._

"I had the shot and I took it!" _Clint said tiredly._

"Why are we still talking about this, Barton? Go nest somewhere while you wait for Nat." _Yet another glare from Barton was shot at Willow._

"You ended up shooting Saumo..." _Liliana pointed out to the archer._

"I didn't see him." _Clint replied._

"Really, Clint? Really?" _Willow asked. _"You're supposed to have the **best** eyesight out of anyone at _S.H.I.E.L.D._ That's why your code name's Hawkeye. If you didn't see him, then you need to get your eyes checked." _She said._

"Exactly." _Liliana said, crossing her arms._

_Saumo twitched some more._

"One more minute, Saumo." _Liliana said, slightly annoyed that Saumo was completing the little 'challenge'._

"What matters is that I got him." _Clint said._

"Where is Nat?" _Willow changed subjects. _"You need her to keep a level head."

"I do not." _He argued._

"You're never like this with her around." _Willow pointed out._

_Liliana groaned – the five minutes were up. She flew downstairs, and came back up a few minutes later holding a silver device. _"Here Saumo..." _She said_

"_Yes! I get to talk to people now! Hi Bird, hi Lady, hi Bat, hi Phantom!_" _The squirrel chattered, now being heard by all of them. _"_Oh! I hear another Lady outside!_" _He said, looking out the window for a __second._

_Willow looked out the window to see Natasha's red curls. _"Its your girlfriend, Barton." _She said with a smile._

"She is not my girlfriend... Yet." _Clint sighed._

_Willow smiled. _"Looks like Bruce and I win! Yes!" _Willow said happily._

"_What'd you win!? Come on Lady, tell me!_" _The squirrel pestered._

"Nothing. Tony and the others didn't want to bet anything." _Willow explained._

"You were betting on if Natasha and I were together?" _Clint asked, shocked._

_Willow nodded._

"_Aw..._" _Saumo said._

_Liliana walked over to the door and opened it. _"Hello." _She greeted._

_Natasha nodded. _"I'm Natasha Romanoff. I assume Clint and Willow are here as well?" _She asked._

_Liliana nodded._

_Back in the living room, _'Take This Job And Shove It' _could be heard again. Willow sighed and opened up her phone, answering it. _"What do you need now, sir?" _Willow asked._

"_Ignoring that, I need to talk your father. This is about our little problem with that ghost, Nightmarcher._" _He said._

_Willow froze at that, not knowing what to say. _"Sir, is that really the best course of action? Sure, Nightmarcher gets into the base, but she doesn't hurt anyone." _She tried to make Fury change his mind._

"_Nightmarcher is an enigma. I do not like enigmas._" _He said. _"_I intend to have her captured and unmasked, or at least thrown back into whatever world she came from._" _Fury explained._

"No one likes enigmas, sir." _Willow pointed out. _"Nightmarcher doesn't hurt anyone on base. She doesn't take any of the Phase Two prototypes, either. Why would you want her captured, sir?" _She __asked._

"_Are you denying orders, Agent?_" _Fury asked._

"No, sir. Just pointing out the facts." _Willow sighed. _"Give me a moment. I'll put the phone on speaker." _Willow fiddled with some buttons on the phone, putting it on speaker._

_The squirrel could hear everything, but he ignored it._

_Danny frowned – already hearing the whole conversation. _"Hello?"

"_This is Director Nick Fury of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division._" _Fury started. _"_We have been having a problem with a ghost, Nightmarcher, for some time now. We need your help._" _He said bluntly._

_Danny paled for a second, recognizing the name _'Nightmarcher' _as Willow's alter ego. _"What seems to be the problem?" _He asked, biting his lip but keeping his voice at the same level._

"_She is sneaking into a secret base. Well, not so much as sneaking, seeing as no one sees her come or go from the building._" _Fury started. _"_She has caused property damage during her battles with other ghosts. We need her unmasked or captured. Preferably both._" _He finished explaining._

_Danny frowned slightly. _"Maybe she goes onto the base because it's built over her 'haunt' or something like that." _He said, keeping his voice under control as he lied. _"Ghosts like to hang around certain areas, and they tend to defend 'their haunt' from other ghosts. It's a ghostly instinct."

_Sam frowned slightly._

"_She is too close to secrets we cannot let get out, or be destroyed._" _Fury added._

_Danny frowned. _"Have you tried reasoning with her? She sounds like one of the more neutral ghosts there is – they'll listen to reason."

"_We do not get the chance. Agents are ordered to stay away from her battles._" _He explained. _"_We do not have the weapons to deal with ghosts. Yet. And when we do see her out of a battle, she flies off before we can ask her anything._" _He added._

_Danny's frown deepened. _"Seems like she's trying to avoid human contact. I don't think she wants to really interact with _S.H.I.E.L.D._ From what you told me, she might only be coming out to defend her haunt. Which would also help protect _S.H.I.E.L.D._ against other ghosts. I'm guessing, if you get the other ghosts to stay away, Nightmarcher won't come out and she'll stay away from _S.H.I.E.L.D._" _He said._

"_As I told your daughter, I do not like enigmas, Mr. Fenton. Nightmarcher is an enigma, and someone I want uncovered._" _An explosion was heard. _"_Agent Hill, what was that?_"

"_Internal detonation! The Wishbone has been breached!_" _Another voice said._

"_Was it a run-in?_" _Fury asked, not noticing that the phone was still on._

"_No sir. Stark was in the lab when there was an explosion, causing the window to break. Stark, what is going on in there?_" _The voice said._

"_Um, besides the gaping hole in the window, the fact that I'm in my suit so I can breathe, and that my science bro is currently M.I.A.?_" _Tony Stark joked. Noticing it fell on deaf ears, he continued on seriously. _"_Unsure, but something green is entering the hole._"

"_Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!_" _Saumo screamed into the phone, mouth foaming._

_Willow got into her leader mode, something she earned from being the leader of so many missions. She narrowed her eyes as she thought of a plan. _"Barton, Romanoff, with me. We need the jet." _She said._

_Clint got up, knowing not to argue with the young _S.H.I.E.L.D. _agent like this._

"_It's a ghost! I swear!_" _Saumo yelled._

"Saumo, shut up! This is serious!" _Liliana said, annoyed._

_Willow grabbed her phone, taking it off speaker. _"Sir, Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, and I are on our way." _She told him._

"_Denied, Agent. Stay there._" _Fury commanded._

"Sir-" _Willow tried to argue with him._

"_I said denied, Agent. __**Stay there.**_" _Fury hung up._

"The hell if I'm staying here when the Helicarrier could turn into a rock in the sky at any given moment." _Willow growled, summoning the rings and turning into her ghost form, which was a black and green armored ghost with a black and green bow, so then she could shoot off ecto-constructed arrows. _"There are civilians at risk if I do." _She added._

Willow... You just transformed. In front of Clint and Natasha! _Liliana said to her through their mental link._

They already know. They're my friends, they have their own secrets that Fury doesn't know about, and they know to keep this from him. _Willow said._

_Liliana nodded, while Danny slapped himself on the forehead. _"Okay then..."

"_Saumo wants to come! Wait! Where'd Lady go!? She disappeared!_" _The squirrel screamed. _"_Who are you stranger!?_" _He questioned Willow._

"'Lady'." _Willow said. _"Barton, Romanoff, take the jet to the Helicarrier. I don't give a damn about Fury's orders. If the Helicarrier drops, they might not be able to get it back up." _She explained._

_Clint nodded and let Natasha lead him to the area where she had parked the jet._

_Liliana paused. She must've said something to Saumo, as the squirrel nodded before disappearing._

"Anyone else want to come and help?" _Willow asked._

"Count us in." _Danny said, grinning before transforming into his ghost half._

_Liliana spread her arms out for a second and muttered, _"Grow Ivy..." _Then she started glowing, and when she stopped, she had snow white hair and amethyst eyes. She wore a purple hood with a dark green dress, that had purple designs on it. With it she wore green and black boots, and black gloves. Her eyes had a strange hint of green in the middle of them._

"Barton, we need the coordinates of the Helicarrier." _Willow said into her communicator._

"_Just follow the jet._" _Barton said._

"That isn't very helpful. I need the coordinates." _She replied, starting to get annoyed with her arrow-shooting partner._

"_It's above Staten Island._" _He said with a sigh._

_If you could see Willow's face, you would see that all color had been drained from it. _"That isn't good. New York City is densely populated, even if it is just Staten Island. If it drops-" _Clint cut her off._

"_I know what happens if it drops. You guys have to get there fast. It's slowly going down right now._" _He explained. _"_Communications and controls are down. They're trying to slow the fall, but it won't be long until they can't hold it anymore._" _He continued._

"Okay, the Helicarrier is slowly dropping, which is a good thing, for now." _Willow explained. _"Bad part, it's above New York City. Specifically, Staten Island." _She added._

_Danny frowned. _"Sam... Aren't your parents vacationing there?" _He asked._

_Sam nodded._

"Then we have two reasons to go." _Liliana said, determined._

"Lets get going then." _Willow said, turning invisible and intangible, heading for Staten Island at her top speed._

Willow smiled at that memory. "FentonWorks." She said.

Danny nodded. "So should we head there?" He asked.

Willow nodded.

000

Danny walked into FentonWorks, seeing Sam sitting over a glowing Rock-and-Play, which had baby Jason in it. He had black hair and shining blue eyes – looking like the splitting image of his father.

Willow followed, body slightly tense. Her eyes were still dull, but they were regaining their former, lighter, color.

"Hey Danny, hey-" Sam started off, pausing abruptly. She looked up, to see both Danny and Willow. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Jason made a cooing noise.

"Sam... It's Willow. She's alive." Danny said.

Sam's eyes widened, and she smiled happily. "Willow... It's been so long." She stood up.

"H – Hey." Willow smiled nervously and nodded. "W – well, I'm m – mostly here." She said. "In the beginning, I had barely any memory of anything..." She continued, shifting her weight onto the foot that was in a brace. That made pain shoot up her leg, so she shifted her weight onto the foot without the brace.

Sam nodded quietly. "Where've you been?" She asked.

"Um... Places." Willow tried to joke, but then she turned serious. "Alaska, a hospital in Alaska, and a shelter a few blocks away." Willow answered.

Sam frowned slightly, walking over to Willow. "Oh... I can't believe that we didn't find you until now." She said, a hint of joking in her voice. "We all thought you were dead..."

"I thought I was going to die back in Alaska, on that mission... My powers were shorted out, but they had come back just as the explosion went off, but I ended up hitting my head at some point. Doctors called it 'Traumatic Amnesia'."

Jason started quieting down the cooing, like he was listening to them.

Sam nodded slightly. "Your powers coming back was probably a survival instinct the ghost inside of you has. But, either it being that or a miracle, I'm glad you're here..."

Jason started screaming.

Danny rushed over and picked him up, but that didn't stop the screaming. "Shh... Shh... It's okay..." He tried to reassure his son, but Jason kept on fussing and screaming.

Willow blinked her eyes, not knowing what to do.

Danny carried Jason back toward Sam and Willow, thinking that handing him to Sam might calm Jason down. He handed Jason to Sam.

Jason paused for a moment and opened his eyes, screaming a few minutes later. "Shh..." Sam said, trying to calm the baby boy as she bounced him up and down in the air.

_You idiot. _Drakon started. _He wants to see you._

_M – me? But why? _Willow asked, surprised.

_What do I look like, the baby whisperer? _Drakon asked.

Jason continued screaming.

_Do you want to go deaf in both ears, girl? _Drakon asked.

_Preferably not. _Willow answered.

_Then see if he wants to see you. _Drakon said.

_B – but... You've been with me the entire time. I haven't had much contact with children during these last two months. _Willow replied. _Especially babies._

Jason kept on with the screams, and the two parents kept trying to calm him down.

"Hold on..." Danny muttered, taking Jason back. He turned so Jason could see Willow, and the baby started quieting down.

Willow was surprised, though she really shouldn't have been since it was just explained to her by Drakon only moments ago.

Danny frowned slightly, and turned Jason so he wasn't seeing Willow. The screaming started up again, and stopped when Danny turned him back. "Yeah, he wants to see you." He said to Willow.

Willow pointed to herself while asking, "M – me?"

Danny and Sam both nodded. Jason blinked.

Willow nodded and took Jason in her arms.

He cooed happily in response.

Willow sat down, her foot in too much pain to continue standing. "Hey." She said softly.

Jason smiled.

"I've missed you too." She said with a small smile.

He made more cooing noises, looking at her.

Willow smiled again. Not a small smile, or a nervous smile, but a genuine happy smile.

Sam and Danny smiled in the back.

Jason closed his eyes droopily.

Willow closed her eyes and let a happy sigh escape her lips. "I won't leave again. I promise you that. And I'll try my hardest to keep that promise." She said softly.

With that said, Jason smiled and fell asleep in Willow's arms.

Willow smiled.

_And yet you still need to call Director Fury to tell him that you're alive. _Drakon pointed out, ruining her moment, though she didn't show it..

_I know... And I, probably, need to get a new uniform. _Willow added. _And a haircut... Too long for S.H.I.E.L.D. standards._

Sam pulled out her phone to call Liliana, and Danny pulled out his to call Bruce. Danny dialed the number quickly, and pressed the phone to his ear.

He picked up on the first ring. "_Hello?_" Bruce asked tiredly.

"It's Danny." Danny said.

"_Is there something I can help you with?_" He asked.

Danny paused for a moment. "Willow's alive." He said.

The phone could be heard dropping on the other end, but Bruce picked it up again. "_Are you sure it's her?" _He asked.

"She's in my living room right now. I know it's her. She remembers some stuff... She's had amnesia." Danny stated. "Which is why we've never heard from her."

"_Does she... Does she remember me?_" He asked. "_And is she otherwise alright?_"

"She remembers you to a point. She knew your name was Bruce." Danny stated. "She knows you're married. And yeah, she seems fine..."

"_I'm coming over. You want me to bring the rest of the team? Or how about telling Fury..._" Bruce trailed off.

"Yeah." Danny said. "You should bring them – and tell Fury..." He said.

"_I'll be there soon._" And Bruce hung up.

Danny smiled slightly. "Hey Willow... Bruce is coming here in a little while. He's gonna bring the rest of the team..." He said.

Willow nodded tiredly.

"So Willow... Why were you in the hospital?" Sam asked, after getting off the phone with Liliana.

"Well, I got out of the remains of the building all on my own, and something happened to my foot during that time. Doctors told me that I had two options, I could wear a brace for the rest of my life, in hopes that my foot heals itself, or I could get it amputated." Willow explained. "I didn't like the thought of only having one foot, so I chose getting a brace." She continued. "And then there's my left ear... The blast damaged my hearing too much, and I lost all hearing in it, though the hearing aid helps with that, somewhat."

Sam nodded, frowning slightly.

000

An hour later, and the team, plus Fury, had made their way to FentonWorks.

Liliana smiled. "Willow..." She muttered, walking into the room.

Willow smiled and got up from her spot on the couch.

"Hey Willow." Liliana said, walking into the room.

"Hey." Willow replied. "Y – You're Liliana, right?"

Liliana nodded. "Yeah. I'm your twin sister..."

"And you have a pet ghost squirrel, right?" Willow asked.

She smiled. "Yeah."

Said squirrel bounded into the room. _Hey! I'm not some pet!_ He said to Liliana.

Bruce walked in to greet Willow next, and to say that he was surprised was an understatement. Saying that he was happy would be an understatement as well, since he was happy and relieved beyond belief.

A memory flashed in Willow's mind as she saw him.

_Bruce stood up and fumbled with something in his pocket. Getting down on one knee, he said, _"Willow, you've helped me alot with the Hulk since we started dating. Would you do me the honor of marrying you?" _He opened a box with a ring in it._

_Willow, eyes wide, smiled and threw her arms around his neck. _"Yes." _She cried happily._

"B – Bruce?" She asked.

Bruce smiled.

Liliana did as well – while she was ignoring her little 'pet'.

Bruce walked over to hug Willow, and she swore she heard him say that he missed her.

"I missed you, too." She said.

Bruce noticed something behind Willow's left ear. "What's that?" He asked, letting go of Willow.

"A – a hearing aid." She replied.

Liliana frowned.

"The blast destroyed my hearing in my left ear... Though, my ghost powers might heal that over time." She explained.

Liliana smiled slightly – then noticed the brace. "What's that?" She asked.

"A brace." Willow answered. "Something happened to my foot, the doctors don't know what, but I can't walk without it. It's either wearing this, or getting my foot amputated."

Liliana frowned. "Do you think that it might heal over time?" She asked.

Willow shrugged. "I have no clue." She answered. "I just hope it doesn't get in the way of my missions."

"Agent Fenton." A male voice said from the doorway.

Willow stood up to meet the eye of Director Fury. She saluted to him. "Director Fury, sir." She greeted, mouth in a thin line.

Fury handed her a new uniform, along with a new communicator. "We will need to brief you soon." He said.

Willow sighed. "Yes, sir." She placed the communicator in her right ear as she said that.

Liliana frowned.

Fury walked away, and someone put a hand on Willow's left shoulder. Willow jumped up and turned around to glare at Tony Stark.

"Stark." She growled.

"Tony." Liliana said.

"Glad you're back, kid." Tony said.

"It'd be better without you, Stark." Willow replied with another low growl.

Tony acted hurt. "You wound me, Willow! You wound me right here!" He clutched his Arc Reactor in mock pain.

Willow just glared at him in response while Liliana smiled slightly.

"Just leave her alone, Stark." A feminine voice said.

"Fine, Tasha." Tony replied.

That earned the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist a kick in the place where the sun don't shine. He walked, awkwardly, away from the dangerous, ball kicking, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

Willow laughed, as did Liliana. "Serves you right, Stark." Willow said, still laughing at his pain. She was also smiling.

Willow pointed at Clint. "I remember you name... It's Clint Barton." Willow said. Clint nodded. Then, she pointed at 'Tasha'. "And your... Natasha Romanoff?" She asked. Natasha nodded.

"Though, you're one of the only people allowed to call me Nat or Tasha." She added and Willow nodded.

Liliana smiled.

Saumo frowned. _Her name is Lady._

Willow smiled, blinking dots out of her vision. Her eyes were looking a lot brighter, but still were dull-ish. She looked at her hair, taking a long strand of it in her hands. "I need to get my hair cut... This does _not_ follow S.H.I.E.L.D. hair safety protocols." She swayed for a fraction of a second, but she quickly righted herself.

Liliana frowned. "Why does S.H.I.E.L.D. say that you can't have long hair?" She questioned.

"Safety hazard." Willow answered. "I mean, we can have long hair, but to where it is on me? Not really 'safe'..." She added on.

Liliana nodded.

000

Willow walked in the halls of the Helicarrier like she wasn't considered dead for two months. She got odd looks from some of the higher ranked agents, but she ignored them.

It had been a few days since Willow got her memory back. Or most of it, anyways. She had gotten her hair cut so it was at her shoulders, and she was now wearing the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform with a black catsuit under it. Both the jacket and the catsuit had the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on them. Her badge, which she had gotten retaken after she had gotten her hair cut, was on a lanyard, looped around her neck. Her eyes were a bright forest green with a bit of dull forest green on the inner and outer edges. She also wore black high heels that made a sharp clicking sound when she walked. She could've silenced it, but she didn't.

Liliana followed behind her – a squirrel on her heels.

Willow opened the door and was greeted by a few familiar faces. Her dad, for one. Then there was the S.H.I.E.L.D. psychologist, Dr. Richard Sampson. Director Fury, Agent Hill, and Agent Coulson were also in attendance. She knew why Dr. Sampson, Director Fury, and Agent Coulson were there, but Agent Hill was a mystery.

"Have a seat and we may begin, Agent Fenton." Fury said.

Willow nodded and sat down across from the doctor, the Director, and her handler.

"I assume you know why you are here?" Fury asked, starting the briefing.

"Yes, sir." Willow responded. "Because of recent events, you need to check to see if I am a liability to S.H.I.E.L.D.. And if I am a liability, fix it."

Fury nodded. "Dr. Sampson, Agent Coulson, I leave the rest to you two." He said, walking over to stand with Agent Hill.

"Alright. So, what was the last thing you remember before you were knocked unconscious?" Richard asked.

"When the battle was still going on, M.O.D.O.K. had used his psionic powers on me. I think they had messed with my ghost powers, making it so I couldn't use any of them, or transform. Mr. Stark had saved me from being damaged further." Willow replied. "After the battle, I had volunteered to watch M.O.D.O.K. and Dr. Doom while the others went after the Frightful Four and whatever ghosts were left, since we had to wait for the extraction team and we had no way of containing M.O.D.O.K. or Doom. M.O.D.O.K. was setting up a bomb while I was in the room." She continued. "Right before the blast, my powers came back, and I had turned invisible and intangible, saving myself from being killed by the bomb. Unfortunately, at some point I had hit my head and I gained what the doctors called 'Traumatic Amnesia'. I didn't remember much. I remembered that I was married to a man named Bruce, I had family in Amity Park, and that I worked for the government." She went on. "I had given myself the name 'Alex' and I went to Amity Park, only after the doctors had given me a leg brace and a hearing aid."

Saumo frowned. _Aw... She remembered next to nothing._ He paused. _Can I go now?_ He asked, boredly.

_Shut up Saumo!_ Liliana scolded.

"And what injuries did you sustain?" Coulson asked.

"Total hearing loss in my left ear, unknown injury to my right foot. Doctors were baffled. But they said I would either need my foot amputated, or I would need a brace. I chose the brace, as I didn't want to have one foot." Willow replied.

"What happened while you were 'Alex'?" Dr. Sampson asked.

Willow internally froze. The only way you could tell something was wrong was looking into her eyes, though. "I woke up in the rubble of the destroyed base, and I got myself out. I was scared, cold, and alone in the Northern Frontier." Willow started. "I took myself to the closest hospital, where I was treated but... I couldn't pay the bill and I did something that I'm not proud of. At all. I used my ghost powers and I overshadowed the doctors so I didn't have to pay." Willow wanted to look down, she really did, but that would be a sign of weakness, and she couldn't afford to show any weakness right now.

Danny gasped, wanting to say something so badly but not being able to at the same time.

Liliana's eyes widened in shock.

_Bad Tree!_ Saumo yelled. _Bad, bad, bad! If I can't overshadow neither can you!_

Director Fury glared slightly at the three before turning his attention back to the briefing in front of him.

"I went off to Amity Park, mostly on foot, but sometimes I flew. I went into the shelter, not knowing where else to go. I had been there for a few weeks when I came across my father." Willow continued. "While we talked, I began to regain more of my memories." She said.

_I'm bored! Let me leave!_ Saumo said.

_Shut. Up. SAUMO!_ Liliana hissed out into her mind.

Dr. Sampson and Agent Coulson got up once Willow was done.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Agent Fenton." Agent Coulson said as he, Dr. Sampson, and Director Fury left to deliberate on whether Willow would be allowed back into S.H.I.E.L.D. without being treated for being a 'liability' or not.

Five minutes later, Agent Coulson came back in. "Welcome back to S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Fenton." He said with a smile, holding out his hand for her to shake.

Willow got up and shook his hand. "It's good to be back, sir." She said with a smile of her own.

Danny and Liliana both smiled – Danny deciding to bring up the overshadowing thing _later._

"Training starts at exactly 0500 tomorrow. Don't be late." Coulson said before heading for the door. Then, he paused. "Oh, and Willow. It really is good to have you back. The whole place just felt alien without you." Then, he left.

000

Now Willow sat in her room aboard the Helicarrier with her dad. She looked down at the cold, metal ground and at her hands, knowing that he wanted to talk about some of the things she did... Mainly overshadowing the doctors at the hospital in Alaska.

"You overshadowed the doctors?" Danny questioned.

Willow twiddled her fingers before responding. "I – I had no money... I was scared, alone, with no memory of a past or anything... I didn't know what else to do." Willow answered, still looking down. Now that she wasn't being poked and prodded upon for her stability as an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, she could show weakness, though she didn't _want _to.

Danny frowned.

"I – I mean, I know that it was bad a bad thing to do to them, and I feel guilty about it every day... I – I plan to make it up to them, though. My paycheck is more than enough." She continued. "I wrote down the name of the hospital and everything. Once I get my paycheck, I'm sending it off to them." She looked up again, but focused on the door.

Danny smiled slightly.

"Also, for some odd reason, Coulson wants you to see the training tomorrow." Willow said. "I have no idea why. I'm just waiting to see what happens this time." She sighed at the memory of what happened the last time she and Coulson 'trained'. _That _had ended with a few broken ribs, a twisted wrist, and a fractured ankle.

"Okay then." Danny said.

000

Willow walked into the training room at the desired hour, already decked out in her black S.H.I.E.L.D. catsuit. Coulson, Natasha, and Clint were nowhere to be seen. Then, Willow remembered that Natasha and Clint were at the Avengers Tower now. That still didn't explain Coulson's absence, however.

Willow closed her eyes and let her ears – or her right ear, really – listen for any movement. That's when she heard someone coming up from behind her, at a faster pace than her father. Opening her eyes, she whirled around and grabbed her assailant's hand.

She smiled when she noticed it was Coulson. Letting go, she folded her arms across her chest. "I thought you weren't going to show, sir." She said.

Coulson smiled. "I had some paperwork." He explained. "Are you ready to start, Agent Fenton?" He asked.

Willow nodded as the door opened to reveal Natasha.

Natasha started with a kick, to which Willow dodged by doing a backflip. Natasha ran towards her, and Willow got onto the palms of her hands and kicked in Natasha's direction, pushing the red-headed spy backwards with her feet.

Getting back on her feet, the two started to try and punch the other, but they kept blocking.

Danny smiled slightly.

Willow had enough of her punches getting blocked, so she did another back-flip to get away and think for a second.

_Okay. So she's blocking all my punches because she can see them. _Willow dropped to the ground and rolled as Natasha tried to punch her. She got back up so she wouldn't be kicked while on the ground, which wouldn't be fun in the slightest. _So I have to get behind her and surprise her somehow... _Backing up a bit, she did a flip and then she was behind Natasha.

Raising her leg, she used it to push Natasha, who almost hit a wall.

Danny smiled.

Natasha whirled around and aimed her leg at Willow, who didn't have the time to block it. Natasha's leg met Willow's stomach and she let out a small gasp of pain as she skidded back a few feet before she stopped herself.

Danny frowned, wanting to jump into the battle – his parental instincts screaming at him to do so.

Natasha smiled a bit and ran towards Willow, who was on the ground and smiling to herself. Once Natasha within range of her leg, Willow stuck it out and spun, tripping Natasha. Then she did another back-flip to get away from the red headed agent.

"One more minute." Coulson called out.

Willow looked at Coulson, surprise evident on her face. "Wait, this is being _timed_-" She didn't get to finish as Natasha tripped her up.

Landing face-first on the ground, Willow got up by pushing herself up, not unlike how someone would do a push-up.

Willow ran towards Natasha and struck out her fist, catching her in the shoulder before jumping up and using her feet to push the assassin away.

Though pushing the assassin away was a smart idea, Natasha still had Willow backed into a corner, literally. The two had a stare-off before Willow used the wall and jumped off, effectively getting out of her position.

"Time's up." Coulson said. "Good job you two." He commented.

Danny smiled slightly due to the fact that it was over.

Willow smiled at Natasha, who smiled back. "We should do that again sometime, Nat, because that was seriously fun." Willow said, still smiling. "And that is why making Nat mad would be hazardous to your health." She joked, even though it was also true.

Danny smiled at that.

000

Now Willow sat in Agent Coulson's office, as they were going to go over some basic S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols.

"Unknown aircraft is about to land on the Helicarrier." Coulson provided a scenario for Willow to recite a protocol for.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol states that we do not let it land unless we know who is piloting it and what its cargo is, if it has any cargo." Willow replied.

"Your cover has been blown on a mission."

"I am to report to either you, Director Fury, or Agent Hill and get an extraction team sent to my coordinates."

"An unknown enemy has captured your plane." Coulson said.

"I am to stay calm and find a way to communicate with base." Willow replied. "I am not to fight the unknowns unless they try to attack me first."

"The Hulk is on the loose."

Willow knew that Coulson knew that she'd have a hard time answering this one, since the Hulk was, technically, her husband. "Again, I am to stay calm. Do not provoke the Hulk, do not try to engage." Willow replied. "If possible, try to calm him down."

Coulson nodded.

000

Willow glared at the punching bag as if it had done something to personally hurt her. She punched it while her new iPod – she didn't know her dad had her old one, so she bought herself a new one – played 'Get Out Alive' by Three Days Grace.

"_No time for goodbye he said_

_As he faded away_

_Don't put your life in someone's hands_

_They're bound to steal it away_

_Don't hide your mistakes_

_'Cause they'll find you_

_Burn you_

_Then he said_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_This is my last time she said_

_As she faded away_

_It's hard to imagine_

_But one day you'll end up like me_

_Then she said_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life._"

Willow punched the punching bag furiously, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"_If I stay it won't be long_

_'Til I'm burning on the inside_

_If I go I can only hope_

_That I make it to the other side_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for your life_

_If you want to get out alive_

_Ooh_

_Run for_

_If I stay it won't be long_

_'Til I'm burning on the inside_

_If I go I can only hope_

_That I make it to the other side_

_If I stay it won't be long_

_'Til I'm burning on the inside_

_If I go and if I go_

_Burning on the inside_

_Burning on the inside_

_Burning on the inside._"

One more punch to the bag and it was swinging. Willow was too distracted with her pent-up emotions to notice that it was swinging towards her. When she did notice, it hit her and she went flying into the ropes of the boxing ring.

Meanwhile, Sam was quietly walking toward the boxing ring, a slight smirk on her face. "Did the punching bag punch you back?" She asked.

Willow got up and smiled. "I don't think it likes me very much." She replied, brushing off her uniform.

Sam thought for a moment. "Probably not, since you _were_ beating it up a few minutes ago." She said.

Willow let out a small laugh. "I don't want to terrorize the junior agents later with any pent-up emotions. I have to teach them, not scar them for life." She said. "Though, it's kind of funny to see them that scared. Though, I think it's more of my clearance level that scares them. Or the fact that I have the Black Widow and Hawkeye as partners."

Sam smiled. "Do they run like how the Box Ghost does when Danny glares at him?" She asked.

Willow shook her head. "They don't run at all. Well, most of the time they don't. Though, they look like they want to if they don't." She replied. "Though... I did have one agent run when I got Clint in the vents with a fully-loaded Nerf gun. I told them he had his bow and some arrows."

Sam smiled grew a little bit, and she tried to suppress a laugh.

Willow smiled, when she felt something hit her back. Reaching for it, she ripped it off her back and looked at it. A Nerf dart. She glared at it like it had done something to her personally. "Oh, I am _so _getting back at him for this." She muttered. Then she muttered something that sounded like 'Barton and his Nerf guns'.

"Is that a... Nerf dart?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah." Willow replied. "When he has nothing better to do, Clint gets into the vents and shoots Nerf darts at unsuspecting agents." She continued. "And by 'nothing better to do', I mean he has no missions and he doesn't want to do his paperwork."

Sam tried to hold back a laugh.

"So... Is something up?" Willow asked after throwing the Nerf dart back into the vents, hopefully hitting Clint. Though, she must've, since she heard someone say, 'Hey!' and it came from the vents.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to have brunch." Sam said.

Willow nodded. "That'd be great." She said with a smile, packing up her stuff.

Sam smiled.

000

Sam walked into the cafeteria, smiling.

Willow followed, also smiling, and hoping that a certain annoying, Nerf dart shooting, agent wasn't around. Her green eyes showed no emotion other than pure happiness.

"So... How are your memories coming along?" Sam asked – and she was hoping that a certain purple squirrel wasn't around, spying on them for Liliana.

"Good." Willow replied. "I have most of them back. Though some are trying to elude me, for now." She added on. "Though that didn't stop Coulson from giving me a 'refresher' in some basic S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols... And interrogation techniques."

Sam frowned slightly. "How did those go?" She asked.

"Oh, the basic S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols went fine... It's the interrogation techniques that went horribly..." She replied. "Now I can understand why some junior agents call him crazy."

Her mother's frown deepened.

"And I can't request a transfer, either." Willow continued. "Fury thinks that Coulson's the only one who can 'handle' me." She explained. "Besides... After the time Agent Sitwell became our temporary handler while Coulson was on a mission... They _never_ let us live it down." She said.

"What happened with Agent Sitwell?" Sam asked.

"Well... I was with Nat, Clint, and Agent Sitwell, practicing driving one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. S.U.V.'s when it started to rain... I was looking for the windshield wiper button when I hit the missile launch button by mistake. And we may or may not have been close to the border of Latveria... Where Doom is the 'all-powerful' ruler..." Willow explained.

"Ah..." Sam said. "What happened after that?"

"Well, uh..." Willow stuttered. "Clint and I may have been a tiny bit tipsy at that point... But we were under the legal limit, I promise." She said. "Anyways... We may have aggravated Doom by calling him a, and I quote, 'drunk, fat, bitch with poor leading skills who is, at best, a glorified version of Iron Man'. And Sitwell and Nat did nothing to stop us." She explained. "And Doom didn't really like what we said, or the fact that Sitwell and Nat didn't really do anything to stop us... And he responded violently..."

"What did he do?" Sam asked.

"He fired a nuclear missile." Willow replied simply.

Sam frowned. "How'd that turn out?"

"The Helicarrier almost blew up..." Willow replied. "And then Fury put Clint and me on suspension for a month..."

"Oh."

Willow nodded. "Yeah... So I'm stuck with Coulson and his training... No matter how much I loathe the interrogation part..."

Sam nodded quietly.

000

Willow walked out onto the flight deck of the Helicarrier as it floated in the water. Looking up at the stars she closed her eyes and sighed happily. The cool sea air hit her face and she smiled, walking over to the edge.

Saumo walked onto the deck. _Hey Tree._ He said, forgetting the small fact that Willow couldn't hear him.

Willow blinked for a second before looking down at Saumo. "Oh, hey, Saumo." She said to him.

Saumo jumped up and down excitedly. _Did you just hear me?_

Willow sighed. "I don't speak ghost-squirrel." She started. "Sorry if I got your hopes up that I could understand you... Just saying 'hello' like anyone would do." She explained.

Saumo pouted.

Liliana then came out. "There you guys are..."

_Finally! Someone who can understand me!_

Willow smiled and sat down on the edge of the aircraft carrier, her legs dangling off of the edge as she swung them back and forth. They hit the metal of the Helicarrier lightly. "It's so peaceful out here. No Stark, no training with Coulson, no Stark, no going over basic S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols, no Stark, no interrogation practice, no Stark, no Nerf darts... Did I say no Stark yet?"

_You did, Tree._ Saumo said.

Liliana nodded. "You said it four times."

"Oh... Well, I mean it. Stark not being around makes everything so peaceful." Willow replied.

Liliana smiled.

"Sometimes..." Willow sighed. "I feel like I could just let go of everything and fall, y'know?" She continued. "I mean, there are so many bad things in this world. Innocent people getting _killed by guns_. It make me... Just want to take the bullet for them."

Liliana frowned. "I know there is... And that's why we're here. To stop the tragedies..."

Saumo didn't understand what was going on, so his tail twitched.

Willow just sighed and stood up. "I'll be in the work-out room if you need me." She said before going back inside.

Liliana frowned and quietly followed behind her. Saumo left to try and pester Tony – even though the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist wouldn't be able to hear him.

000

Willow plugged in her iPod radio and hooked up her iPod to it. She turned it on and selected 'Thanks For The Memories' by Fall Out Boy.

"_I'm gonna make it bend and break_

_Say a prayer, but let the good times roll_

_In case God doesn't show..._

_And I want these words to make things right_

_But it's the wrongs that make the words come to life,_

_'Who does he think he is?'_

_If that's the worst you got_

_Better put your fingers back to the keys_

_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories_

_Even though they weren't so great;_

_'He tastes like you, only sweeter'!_

_One night, yeah, and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;_

_'See, he tastes like you only sweeter'!_

_Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh_

_Been looking forward to the future_

_But my eyesight is going bad_

_In this crystal ball_

_It's always cloudy except for_

_When you look into the past_

_One night stand..._"

Willow delivered punches left and right to the punching bag. Her punches were relentless and hard. They were so hard, the punching bag threatened to fly off of it's hook.

Both Danny and Liliana walked inside the training room and began to watch.

"_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories_

_Even though they weren't so great;_

_'He tastes like you only sweeter'!_

_One night, yeah, and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;_

_'See, he tastes like you only sweeter'!_

_Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh_

_They say_

_I only think in the form of crunching numbers_

_In hotel rooms collecting page-six lovers_

_Get me out of my mind_

_And get you out of those clothes_

_I'm a liner away_

_From getting you into the mood_

_Whoa_

_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories_

_Even though they weren't so great;_

_'He tastes like you but sweeter'!_

_One night, yeah, and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;_

_'See, he tastes like you only sweeter'!_

_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories_

_Even though they weren't so great;_

_'He tastes like you but sweeter'!_

_One night, yeah, and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories;_

_'See, he tastes like you only sweeter'!_"

"Hey, guys." Willow greeted with a curt nod as she finished punching the poor work-out instrument, though she had something else planned for it.

She backed up, then ran towards the punching bag as fast as she could and she jumped up, kicking it with both of her legs and landing on the ground gracefully. She didn't notice how the punching bag was coming back to get her – again – since she was turned around.

"Watch out!" Liliana yelled.

The warning came too late for Willow, however. This time, when the punching bag hit her, she went flying into the middle of the boxing ring. "I'm okay!" She called out.

Danny and Liliana both smiled a little bit.

Willow got up and brushed herself off. "Well, that was a better landing than the last one." She commented – more to herself than anything else – as she got out of the ring. "Not really the best time to talk, though. S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol states-"

Liliana frowned. "Come on, Willow." She said, crossing her arms.

Willow was a bit confused at that. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"'Not the best time to talk?' You just came back! Screw protocol!" Liliana exclaimed.

Willow took a step back, though her S.H.I.E.L.D. training screamed at her to pull out her firearm. "I'm really trying here... To talk to people, but I'm still trying to adjust to everything... I was gone for _two months _with no idea of who I was or anything, I only had those small memories." Willow started. "Sometimes I need time to deal with things alone, in my own way..." Balling up her fist, she punched the punching bag in aggravation. When it came back to hit her, however, she caught it.

"I know but... Hey, you managed to catch it!" Liliana said, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Because I noticed it." With the last word, another strong punch came to the punching bag.

Liliana smiled a bit more, as did Danny.

Delivering a kick to the punching bag, however, wasn't such a good idea as it came right back at her. She was blinded by her emotions and it was going faster than the previous times. When it hit her, she landed back inside the boxing ring again.

"Okay, seriously?" She asked no one. "That thing," She pointed to the punching bag. "Has some serious anger management issues." To add insult to injury, a Nerf dart flew through the air and landed her side. "Barton." She seethed angrily, ripping the offending Nerf dart off of her side and making her way towards the vents.

Liliana paused, sighing. Both her and Danny flew after her – after they stared at the punching bag suspiciously.

"Barton, this is the _second_ time today you've done that to me." Willow pointed out, climbing up on the bench, which was stationed right under the vent. "And, to be honest, I don't really want to deal with that crap." She continued, opening the grate and preparing to hoist herself into the vent. Her ears picked up the faint sound of Barton crawling away.

000

Liliana sighed. She had given up on distracting Willow from going after Clint, and she was now sitting in the cafeteria.

Loki walked into the cafeteria and noticed Liliana sitting at a table. He smiled and walked over to her table. "Is this seat taken?" He asked.

Liliana shook her head and smiled. "Hey Loki." She said.

Loki sat down. "Hello Liliana." He said. "And how have you been?"

"Good." Liliana said. "Willow's back..." She said. "Apparently, she wasn't dead."

"The Man of Iron told me of this." Loki said. "How do you feel about it?"

"Happy." Liliana replied.

"How has she been?" Loki asked. "The Director did not want for me to go and see her when she was at your parents house."

"Good." Liliana responded. "She's just... Not doing good with punching bags lately." She said.

Loki smiled. "Ah, yes. I have seen her training with them." He replied. "It is most entertaining to watch."

Liliana rolled her eyes.

"I was wondering... If you would marry me." Loki looked a bit... Nervous.

Liliana's eyes widened. "Yes!" She hugged him.

Loki smiled and hugged her back. "We should keep this away from the Man of Iron, should we not?"

Liliana nodded. "We don't want him to be the priest at our wedding..." She said.

Loki nodded. "Not after what he did to your sister's wedding."

Liliana nodded in agreement. "I can't believe she let him be the priest." She muttered.

"If I remember correctly, it was her husband who allowed him to be the priest, to keep him from asking." Loki replied.

Liliana thought for a moment. "Oh yeah..." She said.

"But he did make it most humorous and entertaining." Loki pointed out.

"True." Liliana said.

000

Willow looked down at her stomach for a second before looking back at her parents. One emotion passed through her eyes for a moment. Anxiousness. "Uh, guys, I have something important to tell you..." She was scared of how her parents would react to this bit of news.

Danny and Sam looked up. "What's wrong?" They asked.

"I'm... I'm pregnant." Willow said with a shy smile.

Liliana, Danny, and Sam all widened their eyes. "What!?"

"Seven weeks pregnant, actually." Willow said.

"Seriously!?" They questioned.

Willow nodded.

Their eyes were wide.

"Bruce and I are going to wait until the baby is born to find out the gender. We already have some names picked out, too." Willow said. "Stark said we should name the baby 'Anthony' if it's a boy, 'Antonia' if it's a girl. We both said no to his idea." She continued. "And he only knew because his 'genius brain' figured it out."

"What names did you pick out?" Sam asked.

"If it's a girl, we're thinking 'Robin Brenda Banner'. If it's a boy, 'Noah Alexander Banner'." Willow replied. "I'm getting an ultrasound tomorrow before I'm granted maternity leave from S.H.I.E.L.D. I think Director Fury has a heart, too. He told me, 'Take all the time you need, Arrow.'"

Liliana smiled.

"There's just one thing that Bruce and I are worried about, though..." Willow said.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"We don't know how the other guy – the Hulk – will affect all of this." Willow said. "I mean, he's really protective of me, so I know he'll be protective over our child, but we're both worried about what the gamma exposure could do..."

000

It had been nine months since Willow became pregnant. Willow had been told it was twins, but she was so busy (Bruce wanted to monitor her vitals constantly, to make sure that the babies were alright) to tell anyone else, besides the rest of the team (so Liliana might have told Danny and Sam, but Willow didn't know that for sure) that bit of news. So now she was laying in bed, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She was holding a blue bundle while Bruce held a pink one.

The room was nothing special. It had a cream wall on one side, and a light blue wall was behind Willow's bed. Dark blue chairs were scattered around the room, while a bathroom was to the left of Willow. A sink was stationed on one wall, next to the bathroom. The bed was even on wheels, though it was also adjustable, like a regular hospital bed. A light blue sheet covered the bed, usually up to the pillow area, though Willow had it in a position so she could be sitting.

Willow's normally pin straight hair was frazzled, and she wore a light blue maternity gown. Her bright green eyes were covered by red tinted sunglasses after she had told the doctors she would be wearing them regardless of what they said. Then she gave them a glare that said, 'let me wear my sunglasses and I won't make you lose your job and your life'. She wore a smile on her face as she held the blue bundle in her arms.

A doctor entered the room. "Have you two decided on names yet?" He asked.

Willow nodded. "'Noah Alexander Banner' for the boy and 'Robin Brenda Banner' for the girl." She replied.

Noah Alexander Banner was a quiet baby. Oh, he cried at birth, but once he was in his mothers arms in the blue blanket, he had quieted down significantly. He had straight black hair and green eyes that reminded Willow of the Hulk. He had pale skin, but was otherwise a healthy baby boy.

Robin Brenda Banner was louder than Noah. She cooed when in either Willow or Bruce's arms, but she tended to quiet down after crying while in Bruce's arms. She had curly brown hair with the same green eyes as Noah. She had tanned skin, as if she had been in the sun before, and she was a healthy baby girl.

The doctor nodded and wrote the names of the two children on their birth certificates, along with other things. "Those are both beautiful names." He said.

Willow nodded with a tired smile.

It was five minutes before Tony and Pepper came into the room.

"They're beautiful." Pepper smiled. "What are their names?"

"'Noah Alexander Banner' and 'Robin Brenda Banner'." Willow answered.

"I still think-" Tony was stopped by both Pepper and Willow glaring at him.

"Stark, I may be tired, but I will not refrain from stepping on your foot if you finish that sentence." Willow threatened.

Tony thought twice before finishing it.

After a while, he and Pepper left, and Willow and Bruce were alone with Noah and Robin again.

That was when Willow decided to sing a song to Noah.

"_Am I more than you bargained for yet_

_I've been dying to tell you anything you want to hear_

_'Cause that's just who I am this week_

_Lie in the grass, next to the mausoleum_

_I'm just a notch in your bedpost_

_But you're just a line in a song_

_Drop a heart, break a name_

_We're always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team_

_We're going down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_We're going down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_Is this more than you bargained for yet_

_Oh don't mind me I'm watching you two from the closet_

_Wishing to be the friction in your jeans_

_Isn't it messed up how I'm just dying to be him_

_I'm just a notch in your bedpost_

_But you're just a line in a song_

_Drop a heart, break a name_

_We're always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team._" She sang softly, rocking Noah gently.

"_We're going down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_We're going down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_Down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_We're going down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_We're going down, down_

_Down, down_

_We're going down, down_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it_

_We're going down, down in an earlier round_

_And Sugar, we're going down swinging_

_I'll be your number one with a bullet_

_A loaded GOD complex, cock it and pull it._" She finished.

She saw Noah falling asleep and she smiled.

"What song was that?" Bruce asked quietly.

"'Sugar, We're Going Down' by Fall Out Boy." Willow answered.

Then, Clint and Natasha came in through the door, though Clint looked like he wanted to enter through the vents.

"I wanted to let you know we were coming with a Nerf dart but..." Clint started. "Tasha stopped me."

Natasha, Willow, and Bruce ignored him and Natasha sat on Willow's hospital bed. "They look healthy." She said.

Willow nodded. "The doctors are only worried about Noah's skin pigmentation, but I think it's fine." She explained. "Noah, this is your aunt Natasha." She said quietly to the sleeping baby boy in her arms. Well, he wasn't sleeping anymore, actually.

Natasha looked like she wanted to ask something, but she refrained from doing so.

Willow knew what she wanted to ask, however. "You want to hold him?" She asked.

Natasha froze. "A – are you sure you want me to?" She asked, unsure of herself.

Willow nodded and handed Noah to Natasha.

Natasha looked into Noah's green eyes as she spoke softly to him. "Это верно, немного Ноа, это ваша тетя Наташа." She said in Russian. (_Translation: That's right, little Noah. I'm your Aunt Natasha._)

Willow smiled, as she knew exactly what Natasha was saying.

After a while, the two left just like Pepper and Tony had. Steve had visited, along with Thor and Jane. The only people she was waiting on to visit were Loki, Liliana, Danny, Sam, Valerie, Tucker, Jazz, Dash, and Dani. Phil was bound to visit at some point, as well.

Danny and Sam quietly entered the room, smiling.

Willow smiled too. "Hey guys." She said softly. "I'd like for you two to meet your grandchildren, Noah Alexander Banner," she nodded towards the baby in her arms. "And Robin Brenda Banner." She nodded towards the baby in Bruce's arms.

Sam walked forward, and so did Danny. They looked toward their grandchildren, smiling.

Willow smiled, then looked towards Noah, whose green eyes were looking back at her. "Anyone want to hold him?"

Sam nodded quietly. "Yeah." She said, walking toward Willow to take the baby.

Willow smiled and handed Noah to Sam.

Sam smiled and held Noah, making her way over to a chair to sit down. Danny walked with her, smiling down at his grandchild.

Noah cooed and smiled, which got Robin cooing.

Danny and Sam widened their smiles.

Willow smiled. She looked at Bruce, who nodded. He looked at Danny. "You can hold her, if you, uh, want." He said.

Danny smiled and walked over to hold Robin- looking a bit nervous.

Bruce smiled and handed Robin to Danny. Robin opened her eyes to look up at Danny, and she stuck out her tongue.

Danny smiled at Robin. "Hi Robin... I'm your grandpa..."

Robin smiled at him, green eyes sparkling.

"I think she likes you." Willow said.

Danny smiled more.

Robin stuck her tongue out again and closed her eyes.

Danny smiled some more.

Then, Liliana and Loki came in.

"Hey, guys." Willow said with a smile.

"Hey..." Liliana said softly. "How are you doing?" She asked.

"Well, I'm tired, but I'm happy, too." Willow replied with a smile.

Liliana smiled.

Willow pointed to Noah, who was in Sam's arms. "That's Noah Alexander Banner." She said. Then she pointed to Robin. "And that's Robin Brenda Banner."

Liliana nodded. "They're so cute..."

Willow nodded and smiled.

000

No one wanted to send Willow on a mission at this point, but she was the only agent, with the right clearance level, available for this job.

The job, you ask, was showing junior agents how to deal with high level missions. So Willow was sent to the Amazon Rainforest for a week, with a cameraman following her, staying five feet away from any fights. So that's where he was right now, hiding behind a bush, five feet away from Willow, though she wore a microphone.

Her mission? Find and kill a man by the name of John Sampson, a HYDRA Nazi left over from World War II who found, what he calls, the 'fountain of youth'.

It was day five of the 'expedition'.

Willow was fighting eight men by herself. Taking one of them by the shoulders, she flipped him over, knocking him out as he landed on the ground. She grabbed two other men by the heads and bashed their skulls together. That left three men, whom she couldn't find.

Then, her arms were grabbed and forced behind her back as something was clamped onto both ankles. She could feel handcuffs being clamped on her wrists as well.

"Der berühmte Mörder, Pfeil." The leader – John Sampson – said. (_Translation: The famous assassin, Arrow._)

"Du denkst, ich bin berühmt?" Willow asked. "Schmeichelt mir." (_Translation: You think I'm famous? I'm flattered._)

One of John's lackeys slapped Willow on the shoulder and she hissed at him in pain.

"Verpiss dich. Siehst du nicht, wir reden hier?" She asked, earning another slap on the shoulder. (_Translation: Fuck off. Can't you see we're talking here?_)

"Halt den Mund!" Sampson hissed. "Unterstützt _Director_ Fury glaube, er kann einen niedrigen Level-Agenten nach mir schicken?" He asked. (_Translation: Shut up! Does Director Fury think he can send a low level agent after me?_)

"Ich werde Sie wissen, dass meine Clearance Ebene acht ist, was bedeutet, ich bin doch kein 'low level' Agent." Willow replied. She struggled against her chains, which held her in place tightly. (_Translation: I'll have you know that my Clearance Level is eight, meaning I'm no 'low level' agent._)

John laughed. "Du magst sie?" He asked. "Ich hatte sie speziell angefertigt für dritte Geist, die dritte Drachen, dritte Mensch-Hybriden wie Sie." He explained. "Es gibt kein Entkommen. Sie werden getötet, wo Sie stehen werden." (_Translation: You like them? I had them specially made for third ghost, third dragon, third human hybrids. There is no escape. You will die where you stand._)

Willow froze, fear running through her veins, but she didn't show it. "Wie halten Sie von meinem wissen... Zustand?" She asked. (_Translation: How do you know of my... Condition?_)

He just smiled, and fury ran through Willow's veins. Ectoplasm tried to run through, to her hands, but she was shocked, and she let out a garbled scream of pain. The most she could do, once she finally stopped screaming, was make her eyes glow green, though her pupils did dilate and elongate, as well.

"Sie können meine Kräfte aufgehört haben, aber ich bin einfallsreich." She said. (_Translation: You may have stopped my powers, but I'm resourceful._)

John laughed again and pulled out a gun. He aimed it at one of her knees, then he pulled the trigger. The bullet lodged itself in Willow's knee. Then, he did it again in the other knee, and Willow fell to the ground in pain. He threw the key way out of Willow's reach and laughed as he walked away. "Viel Spaß beim Treffen Tod, Agent Banner!" He said. (_Translation: Have fun meeting death, Agent Banner!_)

Once he was out of earshot, Willow spoke in English. "Whatever your name is! Get the key and get me out of these chains!" She said.

The cameraman nodded and ran over to grab the key and he unlocked Willow from her chains. Willow rubbed her ankles and her wrists once they were free. Then, she pressed a button on her communicator. "D – Director Fury." She said through the pain that finally came through. "We... We have a... Code blue... Agent down... I repeat, Agent down... Two gunshot wounds to the knees... I need medical transport to the helicarrier... Stat." She said.

"_Who is down?_" Fury asked.

"M – me." Willow replied. "H – he g – got away, s – sir... And I'm in no c – c – condition to go after him." She tried to get up. "F – Fick." She swore as she fell. (_Translation: F – Fuck._)

"_Wait there, Agent Fenton. A Quinjet will be at your coordinates in an hour._" He replied.

"W – with all due respect, s – sir... I – I don't think I can wait that long." She said. "H – he drained my powers, sir." She said. "But, I'm going to a – attempt to teleport to the t – tower, so make sure S – Stark knows I'm c – coming." She continued.

"_Denied, Agent Fenton. You are in no condition to-_"

"I – I can't wait an hour, v – verdammt!" She swore. (_Translation: dammit._)

"_Stay there, Agent Fenton._" Fury said.

"No." Willow replied. The cameraman grabbed onto Willow's arm, and Willow gathered all of her ectoplasmic energy. She glowed black for a minute before both her and the cameraman teleported away.

She, somehow, found her way into the tower, where the Avengers were eating. Then, she fell to the ground and passed out.

000

"_You think that you and your petty 'Avengers' can defeat my wrath?_"_ A voice asked._

_Willow was floating on a barren rock in space, but she could breathe normally, and she passed it off as 'just a dream'._

"_We can beat whatever we set our minds to._"_ Willow replied._

_The voice laughed. _"_You all will fall to my wrath and my power. You will be the first, along with that damned Laufeyson._"_ It said._

"_Who are you?_"_ Willow asked, her voice not wavering, though she was very scared._

"_You will learn it in due time, Nightmarcher._"_ The voice said. Then, Willow was pushed off of the floating rock. Normally, Willow wouldn't scream when pushed off of something, but she knew where she was going to land then. Now, she was screaming because she didn't know where she was going to land, if she was going to land at all... And she didn't know if she was going to wake up._

Willow shot up out of her bed, eyes searching the room frantically. She was panting, and she vaguely heard the sound of something – a heart monitor, perhaps? – beeping wildly in the background.

"W – wait... Where am I?" Willow asked, now thoroughly confused as to her whereabouts.

"You're on the Helicarrier." Bruce's soft voice replied.

"I – I need to go back to Brazil... I need to find the target..." She muttered, trying to get out of the bed.

"You will not be doing any such thing." Fury's voice broke through. "_Why _did you disobey orders, Agent?" He asked.

"The benefits outweighed the risks." Willow replied. "I couldn't wait an hour for the jet to get there. The bastard shot me in both of my knees. I could've bled out."

"Do not do it again, Agent." He said. "Also, we are transferring you to an S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital. You need surgery on your knees, surgery which the Helicarrier does not provide." Then, he left.

Willow fell asleep, deciding that it was the best course of action.

That was actually untrue, as her dreams were plagued by nightmares, horrible memories from her own past.

"_No, no!_"_ An eleven-year-old Willow cried out. _"_I'll never join you! Never!_"_ A pink blast was sent her way, and she didn't have the time to dodge. The blast hit her chest and sent her into a wall, where she whimpered in pain._

"_You _will _listen, girl._"_ A male voice said._

"_I'll never join you!_"_ Willow cried out. Another blast was sent her way and she was sent deeper into the wall. She whimpered in pain again. _"_Daddy says you're a big meanie!_"_ Then, she broke down, crying._

_Vlad picked her up by the back of the collar of her shirt. _"_Stop your crying._"_ He said._

_That made Willow cry even harder._

Meanwhile, as Willow slept in her new bed at the S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital, everyone in the room (meaning Bruce (who was holding Robin), Natasha (who was holding Noah, since the small boy had warmed up to the red-headed assassin so much, she could stop his crying if his mother wasn't present), Clint, Danny, Sam, and Liliana) looked on with worry because of what Willow was doing in her sleep, and Danny looked like he was ready to go into Willow's dreams.

Bruce was in his customary purple, button-down shirt with brown slacks and black shoes. His hair was a bit frazzled, but only because his wife teleported into the kitchen, where the inhabitants of the tower were eating, with two gunshot wounds to the knees.

Natasha looked as calm as ever, red hair neat and curly. She wore a black catsuit with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on one shoulder. She also wore black high heels.

Clint looked calm, too. He wore his usual S.H.I.E.L.D vest, with black pants, and his purple sunglasses rested on his head. His quiver was slung on his back.

Robin wore a pink shirt with Winnie the Pooh on it. The skirt she wore was white with pink butterflies. She also had red Vans sneakers and a pink striped bear hat that was smiling.

Noah wore a gray sweater with tan pants and black Vans sneakers. He also had a black San Diego 'trucker' hat on.

Willow's hair was frazzled and her skin was somewhat pale. She wore a light blue-and-white hospital gown that went down to her knees, where white bandages were peeking out. The brace was still on her foot, but the hearing aid was nowhere to be found because she had taken it off before she went on the mission, claiming that the hearing in that ear was coming back.

Danny wore a pair of dark blue jeans along with a black shirt, the color matching the locks of his frazzled hair. His crystal blue eyes sparkled with nervousness for Willow.

Sam wore black jeans and combat boots, along with a purple top and black fingerless gloves and a choker. Her hair was down for once, and it looked frazzled. She had a scrunchie on her wrist.

Liliana stood there as well, ebony hair also frazzled. Her green eyes were sparkling nervously, with a slight glow. She was wearing a dark green v-neck shirt, and a pair of black jeans. She was wearing sneakers.

Willow whimpered and thrashed about (mostly with her arms), screaming 'No!' at random intervals. Then, it all quieted.

_A nineteen-year-old Willow hid behind the wall, trying to get away from Vlad. Sure, the man had taught her about her ghost powers, but he had kidnapped and kept her from her family. And he had tortured her most of the time she was there._

"_You can't hide forever, girl._"_ Vlad said._

"_Actually, she doesn't need to anymore._"_ A female voice said._

"_Who are you?_"_ Vlad asked._

"_Agent Natasha Romanoff of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division._"_ The woman – Natasha Romanoff – answered. _"_Under the orders of Director Fury, you are under arrest for kidnapping a minor, abusing a minor, and using your powers for evil. Anything you say will be ignored._"_ An arrow flew out of nowhere and expanded into a glowing green net that ensnared Vlad. Then, Natasha put glowing green handcuffs on him._

_A blonde haired man walked over to Willow's hiding spot, but not close enough for Willow to see him. _"_You can come out now, Miss Fenton._"_ He said in a kind – yet gruff – voice._

_Slowly, Willow walked out. Then, she broke down crying in the man's arms. He tried his best to calm her down, and soon she had calmed._

"_Okay, there are a few different options here-_"_ He said._

"_Willow..._"_ Willow muttered, interrupting the man._

"_What?_"_ He asked._

"_My name is Willow, not 'Miss Fenton'._"_ Willow explained._

"_My name is Clint Barton. You can call me Clint._"_ The man – Clint – said with a smile. _"_Anyways, there are a few options here, but the main ones are that you could return to Amity Park, to see your parents and sister again, or you can come with us to train to be an agent at _S.H.I.E.L.D." _He explained._

"_I... I think it's too soon for me to return home... I'll go with you to train to be an agent._"_ She replied._

Willow thrashed again (mostly with her arms), as if the blankets were hurting her.

"That's it- I'm going in." Danny said, going into Willow's dream.

_A nineteen-year-old Willow sighed. She was currently in a predicament involving her chained to a wall in ghost-proof chains. _"_What is it with villains and being chained to walls?_"_ She asked no one in particular._

_M.O.D.O.K. floated into the room. _"_Agent Willow Fenton. Currently the youngest Agent employed to S.H.I.E.L.D..._"_ He said. Willow growled at his words._

_Danny was growling in the background._

"_You bastard, how do you know that?_"_ Willow spat, eyes glowing a bright green as her pupils dilated and elongated._

_M.O.D.O.K. just laughed. _"_Anthony is not the only one who can hack into S.H.I.E.L.D._"

_Willow's eyes narrowed as she struggled against her bonds._

_Danny stepped out of the shadows and turned visible. "Will you just shut up, M.O.D.O.K.?" He growled._

_Willow stopped her struggling and froze. _"_K__ – __keine... Es kann nicht sein..._"_ She stuttered. _(_Translation: N__ – __no... It can__'__t be..._)

_"I'll say this once. Let. Her. Go." Danny growled out._

_M.O.D.O.K. growled. _"_Why would I do that?_"

_Power suddenly surged through Willow, and she started to glow black, despite the ghost-proof chains holding her. Her hands and feet glowed red before they melted and she dropped to the floor in a crouch._

_"Does that answer your question?" Danny asked, cracking his knuckles. His hands started glowing blue._

_M.O.D.O.K. growled again. _"_Those were ghost-proof!_"_ He said._

"_Yes, ghost-proof._"_ Willow said with a nod. _"_Not dragon-proof._"_ She continued, turning into her ghost form and pulling out her bow._

_Danny blasted the ice at M.O.D.O.K., still growling._

_Willow kept a trained eye on M.O.D.O.K. as he went flying backwards. Once he stopped, she let ectoplasm engulf her hand and it turned into an arrow, which she promptly loaded then shot at M.O.D.O.K._

_Danny continued blasting ice rays at M.O.D.O.K., very unhappy with him._

_Willow sheathed her bow and let her ectoplasm form handcuffs._

_Danny frowned slightly, but decided to let Willow handle the rest._

_Willow, mouth in a thin line, walked towards M.O.D.O.K. and put his hands behind his back, handcuffing him. Then she ripped off the headband._

_Danny smiled. _"_Nice job, Willow._"

"_How..._"_ Willow muttered. _"_I haven__'__t been to Amity Park since I was ten... And that was nine years ago..._"

_Danny looked startled. "You came back a little under a year ago."_

"_My boss has been talking about sending me to Amity Park... But, I__'__m only nineteen! I__'__m still trying to adjust to this job!_"_ She said, fists clenched, looking down._

_Danny frowned. _"_How much do you know?_"_ He asked._

"_About what?_"_ Willow asked._

"_Everything._"_ Danny answered._

_"Vlad had me for nine years. During January of the tenth year – this year, S.H.I.E.L.D. came in and saved me. I just got out of training to be an agent." Willow replied._

"_Oh..._"_ He frowned slightly. _"_I'm from around... Two years in the future._"

_"B – but... How are you here? How did you know to come looking for me here?" She asked._

"_Well... This is a dream._"_ Danny told her._

"_That explains how I jumped from being eleven to being nineteen..._"_ She muttered._

_Danny nodded. _"_Yeah..._"

_Willow thought of her first dream, and of falling off of that rock. The voice haunted her mind and she shook her head vigorously._

Willow shot up like a rocket in the bed.

Danny was thrown out of her when that happened, and he slammed against the wall.

The heart monitor was erratic and fast, as was Willow's breathing, because she didn't know where she was. Her eyes were glowing a bright green and she was glowing black slightly. Most of her skin, that could be seen, was tinged pinkish/red, though her face was pale, devoid of all color (besides her eyes and hair, of course).

Usually, that would've scared Noah and Robin, but since they were both in a deep sleep, and in the arms of the people that calmed them down, they didn't mind.

Willows bright green eyes flickered frantically around the room as she tried to remember where she was. Once she finally remembered, she allowed her breathing to slow and even out, and her skin turned back to its normal shade. Her eyes, however, failed to turn back to their normal forest green. Then she noticed what happened to her dad. "Oh, sorry, dad." She said.

Danny landed on the ground. "It's okay... That always happens when I go into someone's dream and they wake up." He paused. "I wonder how I always hit a wall, though..."

Willow smiled, but the memory of her first dream passed through and she gripped her head as she shook it.

"What's wrong?" Both Danny and Liliana asked at the same time, worry evident on their faces.

Willow stopped clutching her head and shaking it. "N – nothing. Just a memory of a dream... And I don't know who was speaking to me in it..." She continued.

Danny and Liliana both frowned.

"I... I was in space... And I was floating on this rock... And there was a voice... It asked if the Avengers could defeat it's wrath..." She started explaining her dream. "I said that we could defeat whatever we set our mind to, and then it said, and I quote, 'You all will fall to my wrath and my power. You will be the first, along with that damned Laufeyson.'" She continued. "I asked who the voice was, and it said something that chilled me to the bones... 'You will learn in due time, Nightmarcher.' Then I was pushed off the rock..."

Loki came into the room then. "I am sorry if I am interrupting, but I could not help but overhear your description of your dream, and I may know who it was you were talking to."

Liliana looked up. "Who is it then?" She asked.

"His name is Thanos." Loki replied. "He is known as The Mad Titan. He is the personification of death and mortality." He continued. "I believe he wants to rule Midgard." He finished.

Liliana frowned, eyes wide.

"One of his servants, The Other, is the commander of the Chitauri army. The same army I had control over previously." Loki added.

"Oh..." She said, frowning still.

"Why did he choose me to talk to? I've never met him, until I had that dream." Willow said.

"That I do not know, but we must be ready. Thanos is a formidable adversary." Loki said.

Danny frowned.

000

The next time Willow woke up, no one was in the room. Well, no one she could see, anyways. Since she was alone, she decided to sing to herself.

"_Take me down to the river bend_

_Take me down to the fighting end_

_Wash the poison from off my skin_

_Show me how to be whole again_

_Fly me up on a silver wing_

_Past the black where the sirens sing_

_Warm me up in a nova's glow_

_And drop me down to the dream below_

_'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass_

_Hardly anything there for you to see_

_For you to see_

_Bring me home in a blinding dream,_

_Through the secrets that I have seen_

_Wash the sorrow from off my skin_

_And show me how to be whole again_

_'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass_

_Hardly anything there for you to see_

_For you to see_

_'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass_

_Hardly anything else I need to be_

_'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass_

_Hardly anything there for you to see_

_For you to see_

_For you to see._" She sang.

She didn't notice her father enter the room, as she had her eyes closed as she sang softly. If she did notice him, she was just ignoring him and focusing on her singing.

"_You were that foundation_

_Never gonna be another one, no._

_I followed, so taken_

_So conditioned I could never let go_

_Then sorrow, then sickness_

_Then the shock when you flip it on me_

_So hollow, so vicious_

_So afraid I couldn't let myself see_

_That I could never be held_

_Back or up no, I'll hold myself_

_Check the rep, yep you know mine well_

_Forget the rest let them know my hell_

_There and back yet my soul ain't sell_

_Kept respect up, the best they fell,_

_Let the rest be the tale they tell_

_That I was there saying…_

_And these promises broken_

_Deep below_

_Each word gets lost in the echo_

_So one last lie I can see through_

_This time I finally let you_

_Go, go, go._

_Test my will, test my heart_

_Let me tell you how the odds gonna stack up_

_Y'all go hard, I go smart_

_How's that working out for y'all in the back, huh?_

_I've seen that frustration_

_Been crossed and lost and told 'No'_

_And I've come back unshaken_

_Let down and lived and let go_

_So you can let it be known_

_I don't hold back, I hold my own_

_I can't be mapped, I can't be cloned_

_I can't C-flat, it ain't my tone_

_I can't fall back, I came too far_

_Hold myself up and love my scars_

_Let the bells ring wherever they are_

_'Cause I was there saying..._

_And these promises broken_

_Deep below_

_Each word gets lost in the echo_

_So one last lie I can see through_

_This time I finally let you go!_

_Go, go, go._

_No, you can tell 'em all now_

_I don't back up, I don't back down_

_I don't fold up, and I don't bow_

_I don't roll over, don't know how_

_I don't care where the enemies are_

_Can't be stopped, all I know; go hard_

_Won't forget how I got this far_

_For every time saying…_

_And these promises broken_

_Deep below_

_Each word gets lost in the echo_

_So one last lie I can see through_

_This time I finally let you_

_Go, go, go._

_Go, go, go._" She sang again.

Danny didn't want to interrupt his daughters singing, so he said nothing and just let her continue.

"_The cycle repeated_

_As explosions broke in the sky_

_All that I needed_

_Was the one thing I couldn't find_

_And you were there at the turn_

_Waiting to let me know_

_We're building it up_

_To break it back down_

_We're building it up_

_To burn it down_

_We can't wait_

_To burn it to the ground_

_The colors conflicted_

_As the flames climbed into the clouds._

_I wanted to fix this_

_But couldn't stop from tearing it down._

_And you were there at the turn_

_Caught in the burning glow_

_And I was there at the turn_

_Waiting to let you know_

_We're building it up_

_To break it back down_

_We're building it up_

_To burn it down_

_We can't wait_

_To burn it to the ground_

_You told me, 'Yes'_

_You held me high_

_And I believed when you told that lie_

_I played soldier, you played king_

_And struck me down, when I kissed that ring_

_You lost that right, to hold that crown_

_I built you up, but you let me down_

_So when you fall, I'll take my turn_

_And fan the flames_

_As your blazes burn_

_And you were there at the turn_

_Waiting to let me know_

_We're building it up_

_To break it back down_

_We're building it up_

_To burn it down_

_We can't wait_

_To burn it to the ground_

_When you fall, I'll take my turn_

_And fan the flames_

_As your blazes burn_

_We can't wait_

_To burn it to the ground_

_When you fall, I'll take my turn_

_And fan the flames_

_As your blazes burn_

_We can't wait_

_To burn it to the ground._" She continued.

Danny sat down in a chair as he listened to his daughter sing.

"_God bless us everyone,_

_We're a broken people living under loaded gun._

_And it can't be outfought,_

_It can't be outdone,_

_It can't be outmatched,_

_It can't be outrun._

_No!_

_God bless us everyone,_

_We're a broken people living under loaded gun._

_And it can't be outfought,_

_It can't be outdone,_

_It can't be outmatched,_

_It can't be outrun._

_No!_

_And when I close my eyes tonight,_

_To symphonies of blinding light!_

_God bless us everyone,_

_We're a broken people living under loaded gun._

_Oh!_

_Like memories in cold decay,_

_Transmissions echoing away,_

_Far from the world of you and I,_

_Where oceans bleed into the sky!_

_God save us everyone,_

_Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns?_

_For the sins of our hands,_

_The sins of our tongues,_

_The sins of our fathers,_

_The sins of our young._

_No!_

_God save us everyone,_

_Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns?_

_For the sins of our hands,_

_The sins of our tongues,_

_The sins of our fathers,_

_The sins of our young._

_No!_

_And when I close my eyes tonight,_

_To symphonies of blinding light!_

_God save us everyone,_

_Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns?_

_Ooh!_

_Like memories in cold decay,_

_Transmissions echoing away,_

_Far from the world of you and I,_

_Where oceans bleed into the sky!_

_Oh!_

_Like memories in cold decay,_

_Transmissions echoing away,_

_Far from the world of you and I,_

_Where oceans bleed into the sky._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_Lift me up,_

_Let me go..._

_God bless us everyone,_

_We're a broken people living under loaded gun_

_And it can't be outfought,_

_It can't be outdone,_

_It can't be outmatched,_

_It can't be outrun._

_No!_

_God bless us everyone,_

_We're a broken people living under loaded gun._

_And it can't be outfought,_

_It can't be outdone,_

_It can't be outmatched,_

_It can't be outrun._" She kept on going.

"_Forfeit the game_

_Before somebody else_

_Takes you out of the frame_

_And puts your name to shame_

_Cover up your face_

_You can't run the race_

_The pace is too fast_

_You just won't last_

_You love the way I look at you_

_While taking pleasure in the awful things you put me through_

_You take away if I give in_

_My life_

_My pride is broken_

_You like to think you're never wrong_

_You have to act like you're someone_

_You want someone to hurt like you_

_You want to share what you have been through_

_You love the things I say I'll do_

_The way I hurt myself again just to get back at you_

_You take away when I give in_

_My life_

_My pride is broken_

_You like to think you're never wrong_

_You have to act like you're someone_

_You want someone to hurt like you_

_You want to share what you have been through_

_Forfeit the game_

_Before somebody else_

_Takes you out of the frame_

_And puts your name to shame_

_Cover up your face_

_You can't run the race_

_The pace is too fast_

_You just won't last_

_You like to think you're never wrong_

_You have to act like you're someone_

_You want someone to hurt like you_

_You want to share what you have been through_

_You like to think you're never wrong – Forfeit the game_

_You have to act like you're someone – Forfeit the game_

_You want someone to hurt like you – Forfeit the game_

_You want to share what you have been through._" She finished, keeping her eyes shut.

"You know..." Willow started. "I knew you were here. I'm trained for that kind of stuff." She explained with a smile as her eyes were still closed.

Danny smiled. "And I thought I could have surprised you." He said, jokingly.

Willow smiled. "Eh, just depends on the situation. I've been surprised before." She said.

Danny nodded slightly. "Ah. Like when...?"

"It's mostly on missions... And not the happy surprise... But Stark has managed to do it. Once. And it ended with Thor blowing the toaster up." Willow replied.

Danny smiled a little bit at the latter. "Does he do that often...?" He asked, a little surprised.

"Him, Steve, and Loki. But it's mostly just Thor and Steve." Willow replied.

"Oh." Danny said.

"When Loki blows something up, it's usually because he magically curses at it first." She replied.

He smiled a little bit. "I guess life must never be boring at that tower, then." He said.

"Nope." Willow replied. "Especially on movie night." She continued. "Tony brought it on himself to show Thor, Steve, and Loki some 'modern culture'. So now he shows them movies... It's somewhat painful to watch when it's a lesson that involves a machine... Though, Thor blowing up one of Tony's StarkPhone's was funny..."

Danny smiled, trying to hold back a laugh. Willow smiled too.

000

Willow was finally out of the hospital after four weeks. One of them spent sitting in bed and the other three were spent doing intense physical therapy. Her ghost powers had completely healed her knees, hearing, and her foot, meaning that she could wear high heels again.

Now she was in the tower, wearing a black shirt that said 'Skillet' on it. She wore short blue jeans and her wedding ring, which was silver with a green diamond in it. She wore red-and-blue framed Boston Red Sox sunglasses that were tinted red. She had a black handbag on her shoulder and a Boston Red Sox cap on her head. She also had silver sparkly high heels.

The clacking of her heels resounded through the halls as she followed after Tony.

"Stark!" She called sternly. "Stark, you're going to that meeting, even if I have to drag you there myself!" She said with narrowed eyes.

Tony didn't reply, but he just kept walking.

Suddenly, Willow jumped and tackled Tony to the ground. "I told you I'd drag you there if I had to." She explained, putting his hands behind his back and pulling him up. "Now lets go." She took him by the wrist and started pulling.

000

The meeting was boring, Tony had texted her, but Willow didn't care. Bruce was going to give her a recap, since she needed to watch Noah and Robin. Pepper could've done it, but then she learned that was stuck at a meeting as well, but for Stark Industries.

Willow wore her S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, after she had handcuffed Tony to her bed, she had changed into her uniform in the bathroom.

So now Willow was in the lounge room for the Avengers on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with her children, mostly just holding them and talking to them. Then she got the idea that singing would be a good thing for them, so that's what she did.

"_What if I told you_

_It was all meant to be_

_Would you believe me,_

_Would you agree_

_It's almost that feelin'_

_That we've met before_

_So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy_

_When I tell you love has come and now..._

_A moment like this_

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people search forever,_

_For that one special kiss_

_Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me_

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this_

_Everything changes_

_But beauty remains_

_Something so tender_

_I can't explain_

_Well I maybe dreamin'_

_But 'til I awake_

_Can we make this dream last forever_

_And I'll cherish all the love we share_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people search forever,_

_For that one special kiss_

_Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me_

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this_

_Could this be the greatest love of all_

_I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall_

_So let me tell you this..._

_Some people wait a lifetime_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people search forever,_

_For that one special kiss_

_Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me_

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this_

_Oh, like this oh, I can't believe it's happening to me._

_Some people wait a lifetime,_

_For a moment like this._

_Oh, like this._" She sang, both Robin and Noah going to sleep.

"I'm sorry you two." She said softly. "You just got me back and I have to leave again..." She continued. "I decided I'm going after the target again. He's in North Dakota right now."

_Leaving again?_ Liliana asked through mind speak.

_Just for a bit. The target is dangerous if left to his own devices. _Willow replied.

_Just don__'__t get shot again. _Liliana said.

_No promises. Working at S.H.I.E.L.D. comes with risks like that. _She said.

A sigh was heard through the connection.

_I__'__ll try not to get shot. _Willow added.

_Okay..._

000

Willow growled. _He's not getting away this time. _She thought as she chased after her target. She narrowed her eyes as adrenalin, anger, and revenge rushed through her veins. She felt pressured, like she always did during something like this.

Two guards came out of nowhere with glowing green rope-like objects. Both were on either side of Willow, and they threw out one part of the rope.

Willow threw out both of her arms, but the glowing green rope just wrapped itself around Willow's wrists. No matter how hard she tried, they just wouldn't budge.

A song ran through her mind, 'This Is War' by Thirty Seconds To Mars. _A warning to the people, the good and the evil, this is war._

A bullet whizzed past Willows ear. _To the soldier, the civilian, the martyr, the victim, this is war. It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie, the moment to live and the moment to die, the moment to fight, the moment to fight, to fight, to fight, to fight! To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, from the last to the first._

"Zeig dich, John Sampson!" Willow called out angrily. _To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world! To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world! A warning to the prophet, the liar, the honest, this is war. _(_Translation: Show yourself, John Sampson!_)

"So überlebten immerhin. Egal. Du wirst jetzt sterben. Es gibt keine Hilfe." John said. (_Translation: So you survived. No matter. You will die now. There is no help._)

_To the leader, the pariah, the victor, the messiah, this is war. It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie, the moment to live and the moment to die, the moment to fight, the moment to fight, to fight, to fight, to fight! To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, from the last to the first, _Willow sang in her head. "Du mich auch weiterhin zu unterschätzen, John Sampson." She said. (_Translation: You continue to underestimate me, John Sampson._)

John laughed. "Und wie wäre das?" He asked. (_Translation: And how would that be?_)

"Ich habe viele Talente." Willow replied. _To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world! I do believe in the light, raise your hands into the sky, the fight is done, the war is won, lift your hands toward the sun, toward the sun, toward the sun, toward the sun, the war is won. _(_Translation: I have many talents._)

He laughed again. "Und was können Sie in Ihrer Position zu tun?" He asked. "Sie können nicht in Ihrem Geist selbst einschalten, werden Sie nicht in Ihre Drachen selbst drehen kann, kann man nicht an jemand um Hilfe." He continued. "Ich habe alle Vorteile." He added on. (_Translation: And what can you do in your position? You cannot turn into your ghost self, you cannot turn into your dragon self, you cannot contact anyone to help you. I have all the advantages._)

Willow just smirked. _To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, from the last to the first. To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death! To the edge of the earth, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world, it's a brave new world! A brave new world, the war is won, the war is won, a brave new world._

"Tu, was du mit dem Mädchen will, es ist mir egal." John said, walking away. (_Translation: Do what you want with the girl, I don't care._)

Willow froze. _Liliana, can you hear me? _She asked as two men made advances on her.

_Yeah._ Came the response.

_Okay. _She froze as they got closer, and she noticed the faces they were making. _Aw, fuck no. _She commented to herself. _Call Natasha as fast as you can. She went on the mission with me. I'm, sort of, in a bind right now, so I can't call her._

A pause came before an answer. _What the hell is going on!?_

Willow kicked one of the men in the face, making him stumble backwards. _You really want to know what's going on? _She asked. _The target got away, again. He has his lackeys holding me with some kind __of ghost and dragon-resistant rope. I can't phase through it and I can't turn into Drakon. _She explained. _And he left his lackeys to go after me. I swear, half of their minds are in the gutter. _She attacked another man. _Just call Natasha! Stat!_

_I'm on it. _Liliana stated.

Willow nodded and tried to keep the men at bay. Another gunshot rang out and one of her captors dropped dead. Willow grabbed her firearm and shot the other man then took off the rope. _Thank gods. _Willow thought with relief as she saw Natasha's red curls.

000

There was a knock on Bruce's door as he sat with Robin in his arms. Noah was in his crib, sleeping. Willow was supposed to come back tomorrow.

The knock came again, but it was louder.

"I'm coming." Bruce called out. While holding Noah, he opened the door to see...

"Merry Christmas!" Willow joked softly. "I know that I'm months early, but I think this counts." She said.

Bruce smiled at that.

"You're the only one who knows I'm here, besides J.A.R.V.I.S., but I told him to keep it a secret. Just wanted to see how Noah and Robin are doing." She said with a smile. "Now to go scare the crap out of Stark." She continued, flying off, invisibly and intangibly, to the labs to go scare Tony.

000

Willow sat in her bedroom on the Helicarrier. She had gotten a call from Nick at ten last night, so she sat in her bedroom, waiting for him, at four in the morning, in her pajamas. Soon enough, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in, sir." Willow said, knowing it was him.

The door opened with a hiss, and Nick Fury walked in. "Agent Fenton." He greeted.

Willow stood up straight and saluted. "Director Fury, sir." She replied.

"The Council wants to speak with you." He said.

"When?" Willow asked, keeping the shock out of her voice.

"As soon as you can." He replied.

Willow nodded. "I'll just take a shower then get changed. Don't want to look like I just came back from a mission for the Council." She said.

Fury nodded. "I'll meet you in the room, then." He said, walking out of her room.

Willow walked into her bathroom with a uniform in hand, getting ready for her meeting with the Council.

Ten minutes later, she was out and dressed when she felt a presence in the room.

"Not the best time to talk. I have to go to a meeting." Willow said without turning around.

"Who's the Council?" Liliana asked.

Willow sighed. "Director Fury says he runs all the shows, but a select few know that he only runs some of them." She explained. "He's the second highest in his chain of command. The first highest is a group known as the World Security Council." She continued. "What happened in New York with the nuclear missile... Director Fury didn't want the nuclear missile to be shot... It was the Council's decision to send it." She continued. "His exact words were 'I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population', I believe."

"Why would the Council want to talk to you?"

"I don't know... Probably about my ghost powers..." Willow replied. "Before you say anything, he didn't want to tell them, he had to." She continued. "We can talk more about this later, but I have to go _now_. Don't follow me, either. Please. This is supposed to be a private thing, and the only other person who should hear any of it is Director Fury." Willow walked out of her room, back as straight as her hair. _Okay... So if the Council knows about my ghost powers, which is highly likely, they__'__re going to be asking why I didn__'__t say anything... _She sighed.

"Fine. I won't follow you..." Liliana muttered.

000

Willow entered the room, the door behind her locking tightly. The screens in front of her were dark, but she could just make out four people in them.

In the corner was a spirit – invisible. Saumo – the undetectable squirrel ghost. He was listening intently.

"_Agent Willow Fenton, or should I say, Agent Willow _Banner." A female voice said.

Willow nodded. "That is correct." She answered.

"_Director Fury told us of your status as... Nightmarcher. Is that correct?_" A male voice asked.

Willow nodded again. "That is also correct. But given that I am a trained agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, I tend to not use them." She explained.

"_And give us one good reason that will not make us revoke that status._" A different male voice asked.

"Because, I do not use my powers unless it is absolutely necessary." Willow replied. "I realize that I kept it from a lot of people, but I kept the fact that I was alive from my family, Councilman." She continued. "People have secrets. I have secrets, Director Fury has secrets, Agent Hill has secrets, you four have secrets." She added. "I did not feel like I needed to tell anyone about it, unless needed, since I barely used my powers."

_I'm gonna call the guys on the screen Secret-Keepers now._ Saumo thought.

"_What about your family? Do they have secrets, too?_" The female asked.

Willow nodded. "Yes, ma'am, but I am not at liberty to tell them because they are not my secrets to share." She answered.

"_May we see this... Other form?_" A third male voice asked.

"You have to be more specific, Councilman. I have two other forms, Nightmarcher and Drakon." Willow replied.

Saumo smiled slightly. _Yep! Ghost Tree and Burning Tree!_ He thought.

"_Both of them._" The same male asked.

Willow nodded and let the black rings wash over her, turning her into Nightmarcher. "This is my ghost form, Nightmarcher." She said, her voice echoing slightly. "In my other form, I cannot speak English, so I will say it now, it is my dragon form, Drakon." She said, her body glowing black before she transformed into a dragon with black markings, glowing green eyes, and a saddle on her back.

_Burning Tree! Yay!_

_Saumo? _Willow asked. _Why are you here? Did Liliana send you?_

The squirrel froze in place. _I was um... Looking for cookies. _

Willow sighed internally. _I__'__m going to take that as a yes._

Saumo remained quiet.

_If the Director finds out, I__'__m dead. _Willow said, turning back into a human. "In my dragon form, I look like a Night Fury, even though it is from the childrens' movie 'How To Train Your Dragon'. I do not know why that is." She said. "Is that all?"

_I am undetectable. By anything and everything. You don't have to worry, Tree. _He thought – although now, since Willow was human again, she couldn't hear him.

"_Yes, it is. Thank you, Agent Banner. You may go back to your quarters now._" The female replied.

Willow nodded and the door unlocked. She walked out the door and headed towards her room.

Saumo followed, invisibly.

Entering the room, she fell onto her bed face-first and she groaned.

Saumo sat on the floor, still invisible.

"That meeting went horribly." She muttered.

Saumo frowned.

Liliana slowly walked up to the door and knocked.

"Come in." Willow said tiredly.

Liliana walked in. "Bad time with the Council?" She asked.

"Yes." Willow replied. "I told you that only myself and the Director should've heard anything that I said to the Council." She continued.

Liliana frowned.

Willow just shook her head and stood up. "I'm going to go let Drakon out for a bit, if you want to come." She said, walking to her door.

_Wait, fire time? _Drakon asked.

_At the ocean, yes. _Willow replied.

Liliana sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry..." She mumbled quietly.

"It's fine. Just... Please don't do it again. I wasn't even supposed to tell you who the Council was." Willow said. "Hey, why don't you ride with us? Stark put some specially made dragon riding gear on Drakon, and I have the helmet here somewhere..."

_Wait, wait, wait a second! Iron made Burning Tree a saddle but he hasn't made me a talking machine!? _Saumo asked, outraged.

Liliana smiled slightly. "Sure." She said.

Willow walked towards her closet. "I know I put it in here somewhere..." She kept looking for a few moments before she cried out, "Ah-ha! There it is!" She pulled out a blue and red helmet that looked like it was made for riding a horse.

Liliana smiled more.

Saumo turned visible. _Ivy... Make Iron make me a talker!_ He said.

Willow threw the helmet to Liliana. "Just in case. Drakon likes heights." She explained with a smile.

Liliana caught the helmet and strapped it on. "Thanks. Although I can fly." She said, still smiling.

"I know. That's why I said just in case." Willow said. "Now, lets go." She smiled and walked out of her room.

Liliana followed – a complaining Saumo behind her.

Willow smiled and led Liliana to the flight deck.

Liliana paused. "Should I go in human form or ghost form?" She asked.

"Either." Willow answered as she opened the door to the flight deck.

Liliana shifted forms.

Willow did the same, but from human to Dragon. She wore a saddle, a saddle pad, a bridle, and a saddle pack.

Liliana grinned and flew upward, landing on the saddle.

Drakon grinned and roared happily before narrowing her eyes and taking off down the runway, wings spread out.

Then, she jumped off the edge and dived down, green eyes showing nothing but pure joy.

Liliana let out a scream of delight. "This is awesome!" She shouted.

Drakon grinned a toothy grin and skimmed the water.

Saumo groaned. _Hey! Wait up!_ And he flew after them – not done complaining yet.

_Hey, you want to know who might like this?_ Willow asked through their link.

_Who?_ Liliana asked back.

_Dad._ Willow replied.

Liliana smiled. _He probably would. I heard mom has rode a dragon before – but dad hasn't._

_Yeah! It's just like riding a horse. Granted, said horse has wings and looks nothing like a horse, but the __same concept._ Willow replied.

Liliana smiled more.

Drakon shot up and spun as she climbed higher.

Saumo tried to follow.

Smiling, her teeth retracted and a blue fireball shot out of her mouth. She roared happily and straightened out.

Liliana grinned more.

000

Danny, Sam, and a year old Jason were at the Avengers Tower with the other Avengers.

Liliana walked into the room, grinning. Saumo followed behind her.

Willow and Bruce followed, Willow holding Noah while Bruce held Robin.

Danny grinned. "Hey guys." He said.

"Hey dad." Liliana said.

Willow smiled too. "Hey."

Suddenly there was a flash of blue, then a cloaked figure appeared. He had blue skin and a wispy tail, a purple cloak, a scar over one of his pure red eyes, and a clock built into his stomach. And, he appeared to be a child.

Saumo jumped in shock, surprised.

Liliana's eyes widened. "Who are you!?" She questioned, hands blazing.

Willow pulled out her firearm, as did Natasha, while Clint pulled out his bow. Thor grabbed Mjolnir and Loki's hand started to glow blue. Steve picked up his shield, and Tony looked ready to have J.A.R.V.I.S. bring out one of his suits. Bruce just backed away, not wanting to hulk-out.

Danny's eyes were wide. "Clockwork? Guys, he's a friend of mine." He said to the Avengers. He then looked back to Clockwork. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Clockwork sighed. "Came to give you news." He said.

Danny paled to a color almost as white as his hair in ghost form, eyes wide with fear. "Is – is it –"

"Yes, Daniel." Clockwork said, shifting into a form of an old man. "I'm afraid that it has happened..."

000

A/N:

Rossi: Wow... That was long.

Jenny: How many pages, Rossi?

Rossi: 77 on LibreOffice... 69 on Google Docs... I'm just going to take a guess and say, probably over 100 on Microsoft Word.

Jenny: Dang. We wrote a lot. Willow had kids... Yay! And apparently something really bad is gonna happen... YAY!

Rossi: My favorite part was this-

Willow: Clint and I may have been a tiny bit tipsy at that point... But we were under the legal limit, I promise.

Rossi: Anyways... Did anyone spot the Foamy the Squirrel reference? If you didn't, watch the Teachers and Bullies video and look around the area where Willow said that she and Clint were tipsy.

Jenny: Lol. Little fact – Saumo's name actually means Foam. He was originally a joke – but he evolved into a perfect little spy for Liliana.

Rossi: XD Okay, question for all you readers, and answer this in a review. Would any of you guys want to read one-shots about Willow's life before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D.? And Liliana's life before Willow came back?

Jenny: Yeah. Would you?

Rossi: Hell yeah.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:

Agent Fenton-Banner: WELCOME TO CHAPTER TWO! Um... I've got nothing so... WE OWN NOTHING!

Playlist:

Dear Agony – Breaking Benjamin

Had Enough – Breaking Benjamin

Evil Angel – Breaking Benjamin

Hopeless – Breaking Benjamin

000

Danny's eyes widened in fear. "No, no, no, no, no..." He muttered.

Tony was the first to speak in a full sentence. "Wait." He said "What has 'finally happened'?"

Clockwork sighed. "_He_ has escaped out of his prison. But, you don't know who 'he' is."

Steve stepped up, hands folded across his chest. "Then how do we stop him if we don't know who he is?"

Danny looked down, questions circling around his head.

"He's almost unstoppable – but I should at least tell you, even if it is against code." Clockwork said. "He's known by many names. One of them is, 'The Devil', but he's better known as Dan."

"The most evil – and the most powerful ghost to walk the planet..." Danny finished, head still down. "How – how'd he escape?"

"He's immune to my time powers now, Daniel, from all the time travel." Clockwork stated.

Steve looked determined. "We're Earth's Mightiest Heroes." He stated. "We can do this."

Clockwork had a small smile, but it was very weak. "Try not to die while fighting him. Earth needs its heroes." He said, disappearing.

Danny looked downward and Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay..." She said.

"No..." Danny mumbled. "It won't. Nothing involving him is ever okay..." He mumbled.

"It's like Steve said, we can do this. We're the Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes." Willow said.

Danny kept a frown on his face.

Liliana could feel an emotion just radiating off of her father – just flowing everywhere. He was like a waterfall... Of fear. "D – Dad... Who is Dan?" She asked.

"A person I never wanted anyone else to meet." He answered, a mixture of fear and sadness in his voice.

"_I am sorry to interrupt, but something has been spotted in Mexico City._" J.A.R.V.I.S. reported.

Danny shot up. "Does it have flaming white hair, blue skin, blood-red eyes, and is it killing innocents?" He asked.

Instead of answering, J.A.R.V.I.S. pulled up a holographic screen. A brown haired woman was doing the news report. In Spanish.

"_Esta es Angela Valdez con XHTVM-TV, y tenemos algunas noticias de última hora de la Ciudad de México." The woman said rapidly, panicked. "Un extraño demonio, de piel azul está atacando el Monumento a la Revolución Mexicana. Se pide a todos los ciudadanos a salir de la ciudad-" The woman was cut off as a tree was thrown at her._ (_Translation: This is Angela Valdez with XHTVM-TV, and we have some breaking news from Mexico City. A strange, blue-skinned demon is attacking the Monument to the Mexican Revolution. All citizens are asked to leave the city-_)

Willow narrowed her eyes, hand gripping her gun – which was resting in its holster – as if Dan was human and in front of her.

_The woman was panting hard. "Esto es... Angela Valdez... Informes de XHTVM-TV..." Then, she stopped panting__ – __and breathing all together. (Translation: This is... Angela Valdez... Reporting for XHTVM-TV..._)

_A blue-skinned creature flew into the shot of the camera, cackling. He wore a black and white jumpsuit with a lot more special designs than Danny's, and it had the all-too-familiar logo on it. He had a snake tongue, flaming white hair, and eyes as red as blood. He picked the tree up with ease, as looked into the camera. "I'm back, Danny. Hold the ones you love close – they're all gonna die. And I will have fun killing them. Looks like your promise will break..." He said, before blasting the camera to bits. _

Danny started shaking like a leaf. "No..." He mumbled, eyes glowing brightly. "It won't." He said to the screen, as if it was actually Dan.

"We should get going then, if we want to stop him." Willow said.

"No. It's my fight. You need to stay here." Danny said.

Sam nodded in agreement.

Willow didn't back down. "The Avengers Initiative was made-" She started.

Danny cut her off. "This person is downright evil, and he wants to murder everyone. Especially the people I know. And he can do it in one punch." He said. "You. Are. Staying. Here." He said.

"But dad-" Liliana started.

"I don't want him to kill you guys!" Danny exclaimed.

"Dad, the team is made out of people who can take something like that." Willow paused. "Well, maybe not Clint and Natasha, but the rest of us can." She said. "You've got Tony in his suit, Steve with the Super Soldier Serum running through his veins, two halfa's, one of whom is a fully trained spy and assassin." She paused again. "Hulk's skin is indestructible, and the angrier he gets, the stronger he gets. And Thor and Loki are Norse Gods."

Danny's eyes were dilated, and Liliana realized the fear behind them. "_He_'s from the future... Where he destroyed both here and the Ghost Zone, and nothing was able to stop him..." He said. "He was able to destroy actual _ghosts_ and not blobs. The only other ghost who could ever do that was Pariah Dark!" He exclaimed, trembling a little – while paled.

"I'm not backing down. I want to help." Willow said.

Sam stepped in by now. "Willow, you should listen to your father..." She said, pale.

Willow took a deep breath, hand clutching the handle of her gun. "Я просто хочу помочь…" She muttered. (_Translation: I just want to help..._)

Danny sighed, before his eyes widened. _He's still attacking Mexico City..._ He thought, freaking out. It was evident on his face.

"We're still going." Steve said. "Fury's gonna call us soon to send us over there, I just know it."

Danny frowned more.

"And Fury's going to want to send me in, if he's sending them." Willow stated.

Danny's frown became deeper.

"_Sir, Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. is on the line. Would you like me to redirect his call to Antarctica?_" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked.

Liliana frowned more, trying to figure out _why_ Danny was so afraid of Dan.

In his head, Danny replied, _Yeah._

Tony sighed. "Not right now, J." He replied. "Patch Captain Eyepatch through."

"_Mr. Fenton,_" Fury started. "_Why is there a blue-skinned... Thing threatening you on Mexican television?_" He asked.

Danny paused. "Me and him have bad history..." He answered.

"_Avengers, get down to Mexico City and stop that... Thing._" Fury said, ending the call.

Danny frowned, but narrowed his eyes in determination. _If you're game is to draw me out by murdering people, then I guess you won this round..._ He thought.

000

The Quinjet landed in Mexico City, which looked like a war-zone in the middle east, not a huge Mexican city.

Danny flew out, flinching at the familiarity of the situation.

Liliana followed, cautiously.

Willow came out, hand on her pistol. Tony had his faceplate down and Steve donned his shield. Bruce sat in the Quinjet while Clint and Natasha came out, Clint holding his bow, quiver slung on his back, while Natasha held two of her daggers. Thor landed on the ground, Mjolnir in hand, while Loki walked out of the jet, scepter in hand.

A blue skinned figure appeared over Danny's statue, and he turned to face them. "Oh if it isn't you... Among other people." He said, narrowing his eyes.

Willow kept her face expressionless as she pulled out her firearm and clicked off the safety.

"You." Danny growled out.

"Did you see my little act on television? That was fun. My first kill in how long...?" He asked. "How many years has it been?" He asked.

Danny narrowed his eyes, not answering him.

Tony raised an arm, repulsor glowing white and whining. "Don't. Move." He commanded.

Dan narrowed his eyes, and teleported in front of Tony, blasting him with a ghost ray. "I don't listen to humans." He said. "Actually, I don't listen to anybody."

Tony went flying into the rubble of a building, Arc Reactor flickering once before shining brightly again.

Steve got into a fighting position, ready to throw his shield.

Dan cackled, disappearing again. Then he appeared next to Danny, Willow, and Liliana. "Who are these two, Danny?" He asked, eyes narrowed.

Danny narrowed his eyes, and Liliana backed away a little bit – feeling overwhelmed. All the fear from her dad had practically paralyzed her.

Willow aimed her gun at him, unanswering.

Dan noticed this. "Ah, so you like guns. Like _Valerie_." He stated, narrowing his eyes.

Willow narrowed her eyes, which were starting to glow slightly.

He noticed that too. "Ghost. She's your daughter, isn't she?" He asked, tauntingly. He charged ecto energy up to his hands. "And she is too, isn't she?" He asked, glancing at Liliana for a second.

Danny narrowed his eyes further, and charged energy of his own into his hands.

Quickly, Willow put her gun back in its holster and back-flipped away from the sadistic ghost.

"So Danny, how much did you tell them about me?" Dan asked, adding more energy to his hands.

"They know you're bad." He said.

Dan shook his head. "Do they know what Dan is _short for_?" He asked, eyes glowing brightly.

Danny growled slightly at that.

Willow narrowed her eyes and pulled out her gun again.

Liliana narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"So they don't know!" Dan said, shaking his head slightly. "Shame on you – you didn't tell your daughters about your history. How you were supposed to-"

"Shut up!" Danny yelled, eyes blazing brightly.

Liliana's eyes widened.

"Oh, you think your daddy is a little angel? Did he ever tell you who I am?" Dan asked, not waiting for an answer.. "Well... I. Am. Him. We are one and the same."

Tony got up from the building and growled, his voice being distorted because of the armor. Steve narrowed his eyes while Clint and Natasha remained emotionless. Thor's grip on Mjolnir and Loki's grip on his scepter tightened slightly.

Liliana's eyes widened in shock.

Danny growled at Dan. "No we aren't..." He said.

Willow narrowed her eyes, which were glowing furiously and the pupil's dilated and elongated. She was glowing black, just about ready to let Drakon out.

"But, I guess he's ashamed of himself – his humanity really does hold him back." Dan said, eyes glowing a deep red and his fangs gleaming. "It really is only a matter of time before the murderer inside of him shows itself again." He said.

Natasha gripped her daggers tightly, but it it was a minute movement, so it was barely seen. Clint tensed up and Steve's grip on his shield tightened.

Liliana's eyes widened more.

Danny growled more at Dan. "Shut. Up." He said.

Now Willow was growling, more like Drakon than anything else.

"Oh, did he never tell you about the C.A.T. accident? When he _killed_ Sam, Tucker, Lancer, Jazz, and our parents? Those were his first murders – which he had to have Clockwork erase. Clockwork could never erase those memories though. The memories of them exploding – the screams... Valerie dying in front of his eyes. Seeing how the cheese-head was reduced to nothing but a shivering hermit?"

Liliana was internally freaking out, her mind screaming that Dan was lying.

Danny dropped his ectoblast and he clutched his head, trying to avoid the memory. "Shut up..." He whispered, paling more.

Then, Willow snapped and she glowed black, transforming into Drakon. Then, she tried to pounce on Dan.

"He lives in fear of me every day. Or should I say, he lives in fear of himself." Dan dodged Drakon with ease.

Willow roared angrily and let Drakon take over fully. Then she fired off a fire blast.

Dan dodged that one as well. Liliana was shaking – clutching her head in pain. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Danny looked up, bringing himself out of his mental battle. He looked on to the 'battle', shaking.

Willow flew upwards and roared angrily, then she dived down, towards Dan.

Danny growled. "Willow, he's baiting you!" He yelled, ready to lunge at Dan himself.

Dan cackled, and waved his hand to the side, creating a large shield – Willow not even making a dent in it.

"We have to get out of here!" Danny yelled. "Before he kills any of us!" He said, pale and shaking as well.

"Mihi ista licet de me pauca ipsum." Willow said, landing. (_Translation: I can take a few people on my back._)

Dan made a 'tsk tsk' noise. "No. I haven't felt wondrous bloodshed in so long." He said, hands glowing.

"Dad... He's... He's..." Liliana stuttered – she could feel her father's fear of the evil spirit. And she could feel the sadistic desire to kill from Dan. She knew the man was crazy – much crazier than Vlad. And all the emotion hurt – she was trying not to pass out. "He's insane..."

Willow growled and stood on her hind legs, which made her tower over most of the group. "Tu Domine, in tenuissimum glácies nunc." She said, pointing to Dan. (_Translation: You sir, are on very thin ice._)

Dan simply smirked, and let out a large ghostly wail – much like Danny's ghostly wail.

Willow fell backwards and reverted to human, just so she could cover her ears and curl up into a ball.

Dan didn't stop, and Danny quickly tried to fly in front of Willow as a ghostly-shield. He struggled to try and let out a ghostly wail of his own, which hardly made a dent.

Willow felt like she had when the bomb went off, which felt like hell. She whimpered, softly, in pain.

Danny frowned, and pushed further into his own Wail. But, Dan's was still much more powerful. Danny soon fell to the ground on his knees in human, when Dan finally stopped. "Can't kill me..." Danny said, having short breaths.

Willow was still curled into a tight ball. No one, not even Bruce – who was about to hulk out -, dared to move to help her, afraid of what could happen if they did.

"You're protective." Dan stated. "A fault that can be fixed – or at least, used." He stated, teleporting next to Willow. He grabbed her by the collar then teleported away.

"Willow!" Liliana yelled, struggling to get up.

Danny's eyes blazed with fury. "Come back here!" He yelled to where Dan was. "It's me you want – not her!" He blasted at the ground where Dan was, obviously furious.

000

Willow uncurled herself instinctively but did nothing to fight back. Her heavily guarded walls had fallen, and she was scared out of her mind. She whimpered and bowed her head down in defeat. Tears were brimming in her eyes.

Dan only laughed sadistically, throwing energy constructs in the shape of handcuffs around the girl's hands.

Willow didn't fight it. She accepted her fate either way it went – if she lived or if she died.

"You should have listened to your father." Dan said, eyes narrowed. "Normally I don't take prisoners." He said. "You'll die after I get a hold of him." He confirmed.

Willow said nothing as her eyes finally faded back to their forest green, yet they were dull, lifeless – even if she was still alive.

Dan lifted her up with telekinetic energy, and teleported them away again. To a very familiar place for Willow... Vlad's castle.

The memories of her time in the dammed castle slammed into Willow and her walls crumbled further. She said nothing, though. She had lost the will to fight it, to speak, to do anything.

Dan dragged her to the basement, looking around. "Where did he keep the anti-ghost prison equipment...?" He questioned himself.

Willow kept quiet. Her lips felt heavy, like lead. _I should've listened... This is all my fault... And now everyone else is paying for it..._ She thought sadly.

Dan searched some more, before remembering something. He dragged Willow down into the ground intangibly, then he found a secret level. The same level where Willow had been kept previously. "Look at all this stuff." Dan said. "Someone's been using this place recently." He commented.

Willow froze, but she said nothing. But her eyes, still dull, showed terror and fear.

_Willow? WILLOW!? You aren't dead!_

_I know... But I feel like it... I'm sorry I'm putting you guys through this..._ Willow replied.

_Willow, where are you!?_ Liliana questioned.

Dan finally found the chains, and used telekinesis to chain Willow up. He simply smirked at her terror.

_What's the point? He's just going to kill me later..._ She answered.

_Willow... This isn't like you... You have kids at home. What about them? What about Bruce?_

Willow hung her head and let her body fall limp. Or, as limp as it could in the chains. _I've given up the fight..._ Willow told her sister simply.

_You can't do that..._

_Fine... I'll tell you, but I've still given up regardless... Willow gave in. I'm in Vlad's castle... I think it's under the whole house..._

_I'll get them to come for you-_

_I've caused you all too much trouble... Just let him have his way. I won't matter either way, I've given up... I'm dead inside._ Willow said.

_His way is using you to turn dad into a murderer!_ Liliana said.

_Come if you really want to, but he did the one thing Vlad could never do the second time he kidnapped me... He broke down all of my walls..._ Willow said.

_Willow… It'll be okay… It always turns out okay…_ Liliana said, although she doubted it herself. She knew all the fear their father felt of this man – who her dad really was…

_How do you know this will?_ Willow asked.

Liliana paused. _Because… It's never too late until it's completely over._

Willow sighed mentally. _It feels completely over for me..._

_It's not… I'll help save you, and so will everyone else._ Liliana promised.

_It turns out Sampson was right after all when he said 'Du wirst sterben, wo Sie stehen'... That means 'You will die where you stand' in German... And he's right... I am going to die where I stand..._ Willow said.

_It's not true Willow… I'm coming with dad as soon as I can._ Liliana said.

Dan glanced at Willow, already bored of waiting. He narrowed his eyes, and crossed his arms.

Willow didn't reply, but she did whimper slightly.

Dan paused. "Scream." He ordered, deep red eyes glowing. His flaming hair grew larger.

Willow did nothing, she just kept looking down with her dull, forest green eyes.

He growled. "Scream!" He ordered again – hissing. He then formed a blast of condensed ecto-energy in his hands and aimed it toward her.

Willow noticed it, but she didn't care. She wasn't defiant, she just didn't care if she lived or died at this point.

Dan growled more, and threw a blast at her. "Scream! Now!" He ordered, throwing more blasts.

Willow screamed in pain.

Dan smirked in satisfaction, but continued throwing blasts at Willow.

Willow kept screaming, and she threw her head back in pain.

Dan's eyes sparked sadistically, and yet continued. "It will be very fun when I can actually kill you..." He mumbled.

While she screamed, black ghostly energy came out of her mouth. It wasn't very strong, and it ended a second later, but it was enough to shake the room for a second.

Dan was thrown back a few feet, and his eyes were wide. "Looks like you also have it." He growled out, charging white energy to his hands.

Willow whimpered and let her body go limp again.

Dan growled, and let loose more blasts of stronger energy.

Willow's scream was louder than before, but no ghostly wail came out.

000

Liliana frowned. "I... I connected." She said, internally freaking out. "She's given up..." Liliana said quietly.

Danny's eyes widened – knowing what Dan could do to people. "Where – where is she?" He asked, also freaking out. His eyes were all but red.

"He took her to – to – Vlad's castle. I think the Wisconsin one... Deep underneath the whole thing." Liliana answered.

Bruce couldn't stay calm. Oh, he was calm enough to not hulk-out, but he looked like he was ready to. His skin was turning green and his eyes were already green. He was also growling slightly. Hulk took over, vocally. "Bad man take pretty woman. Hulk smash bad man!"

Danny nodded quietly. "Yeah. He's bad... But at least he hasn't killed her yet..." He mumbled, also angry. "If she's even hurt, I swear I will blast him into nonexistence."

Bruce still hadn't given Hulk full control, yet. "Bad man wants to kill pretty woman?" He paused, then his voice got louder. "HULK SMASH BAD MAN TO PIECES!" He roared. "PUNY BANNER WANTS HULK TO SMASH BAD MAN!" Then, Bruce gave full control to Hulk, and his muscles bulged as he grew in size. Then, he lost his shirt.

Liliana screamed and clutched her head, and Saumo ran around and around in a circle – ears flattened as he let out a squeak of pain.

Danny frowned, and backed away a little bit. "He is gonna pay for this Hulk. We have to get to the castle first..." He said, eyes wide.

For the first time, Hulk said something quietly. "Puny Banner loves pretty woman and so does Hulk." He paused. "Bad man pay. Bad man die. Bad man is puny."

Danny nodded. "He'll pay for this..." His eyes glowed furiously. "That I'll promise." He said, and Liliana managed to get over the original wave of emotion and she sat up.

Thor stood next to no one else when it happened. Just like on the Leviathan, Hulk punched Thor and sent him flying.

Liliana frowned. "Dad..." She said quietly. "What – what does he want?" She asked.

Danny frowned and looked down, unanswering.

"We need to know if we're going to beat him." Steve said.

Danny's frown deepened. "Me." He said simply – and quietly in a whisper.

Tony, in his suit with the faceplate up, blinked. "Why?" He asked.

He continued staring at his feet. "It's complicated..." He said.

Hulk roared. "HULK SAVE PRETTY WOMAN! HULK SMASH BAD MAN LIKE HULK DID WITH PUNY GOD!"

Loki winced at that memory.

"I'm a genius. Nothing is too complicated for me." Tony said. "I put an arc reactor in my chest, for pete's sake!"

"I know exactly what he wants with me. He wants me to kill everyone I ever loved. Then he wants me to rip out my human half, then kill that. Then he wants me to destroy both the human world and the ghost zone – killing everyone, as the most powerful ghost to ever exist." Danny said bitterly, eyes gaining a red tint. "He. Wants. Me. To. Be. A. Murderer. And if I don't do that, he'll kill them all himself. Is that a nice little summary?" Danny asked, also bitter.

Liliana's eyes were wide. _No wonder why Dad hates him so much..._

Tony and the rest of the original Avengers froze, along with Loki.

"He was right... It is inevitable..." Danny mumbled quietly.

Thor got up from where he had landed and summoned Mjolnir to his hand. "No. We will save Lady Willow and we will stop him." Thor said, Mjolnir in hand.

"He's invincible..." Danny mumbled. "I don't know how to stop him..."

"No one is ever invincible." Steve said.

Danny looked up after a few minutes – fear in his eyes. "He's the only person I've ever been afraid of..." He admitted. "I don't want anyone to die..."

"We'll get through this alive, I promise." Steve said.

Danny smiled slightly, though he had a very bad idea of what would happen...

"And we shall save Lady Willow!" Thor boomed.

Liliana smiled, but then frowned slightly. _If there's anything on the inside that's left to save..._ She thought.

"Lady Liliana, how is Lady Willow feeling now? Can you tell?" Thor asked.

Liliana nodded quietly. "She... She gave up..." She said quietly.

"Is there no way to rejuvenate her?" Thor asked.

"She – she said that _he_ was able to do the one thing Vlad couldn't... Break her down..." Liliana said, tears in her eyes.

"HULK GO SAVE PRETTY WOMAN FROM BAD MAN!" Hulk roared. "HULK MAKE PRETTY WOMAN FEEL BETTER!"

Liliana smiled slightly, but was still upset. "We need to go... Now... Before anything else happens..."

000

Dan looked up, having heard something. "Looks like they're here." He stated, before looking down at Willow.

Willow hung in her chains limply, her uniform charred in most places, or completely burned off.

Then, Danny intangibly came into the room – with Hulk. Liliana also came in with Loki.

"And you brought... Others." Dan stated, eyes narrowed.

"LET PRETTY WOMAN GO, BAD MAN!" Hulk roared.

Willow didn't say anything. Her head, previously up, hung limply, just like the rest of her body.

"Um, no." Dan said, raising a hand – which had a blast charging – and aiming it at Willow. "Take any steps forward, and she dies." He said.

Liliana narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want, Dan?" Danny questioned.

"Same as always. And actually, Dan is not my name. It's the nickname you gave me... We all know that my name is actually _Danny_." Dan said, in a taunting tone.

Hulk didn't know what was going on, but knew if he did something rash, the pretty woman – Willow – would die. He growled.

Loki, eyes narrowed, raised a glowing blue hand, muttering something that sounded like 'Ef þú árás að stelpan aftur, mun ég láta þetta álögum burt, og þú munt ekki eins og það gerist þegar ég geri.' (_Translation: If you attack that girl again, I will let this spell off, and you won't like what happens when I do._)

"She won't be hurt, as long as Danny is cooperative." Dan said, having understood Loki's comment.

"Oh, is that so?" Loki asked. "I believe you said that you would kill her once you got Danny." He said. "Or did I hear wrong?"

Dan chuckled. "I said 'I' would kill her. But there are multiple versions of me... One of them standing with you right now."

Danny growled at Dan.

"Dad would never do anything like that." Liliana stated.

"I am the same person as him, girl! We're the same." Dan said. "Without him, I wouldn't exist." He stated. "You have only him to thank for my existence."

Danny clenched his fists.

Willow whimpered slightly, her body still in pain from what Dan did. Her throat hurt from her screaming.

"Dad... Is he right?" Liliana asked quietly.

Danny remained quiet for a second. "I wasn't the one that killed them." He said.

"You were." Dan said, eyes blazing. "You killed them. Their deaths lead to the death of Danny Fenton, and the creation of Dan Phantom – the most powerful force to exist in the world. Letting go of my humanity lead to me becoming more powerful than Pariah himself." He said.

Hulk growled.

"Now, you will finish what you started when you killed them." Dan formed a duplicate. "I never went away. The future was never truly erased. I still exist... You still become me." He said, sending the duplicate forward.

"Iustus me mori... Iam mortuus sum intus..." Willow muttered lifelessly in Latin. (_Translation: Just let me die... I'm already dead inside..._)

Liliana froze up, not knowing what to do. Despite her father not showing his fear, she could feel it.

Danny frowned again. "What exactly do you want?" He asked again.

Dan smirked. "Find the gauntlets. We're reenacting what happened." He said.

Danny growled at him. "I hate you..." He muttered, before he started looking around the room.

Hulk still didn't know what was going on, but he knew one thing, he wanted Willow. "WHY BAD MAN TAKE PRETTY WOMAN!?" He asked. "HULK WANTS PRETTY WOMAN BACK!"

Dan simply smirked – unanswering – and made his duplicate start to follow Danny.

"Dad!" Liliana yelled, not believing it.

Danny hung his head down in defeat, and he continued looking.

"GHOST PERSON HAS TO HELP! GHOST PERSON HELP SAVE PRETTY WOMAN!" Hulk roared.

"He'll be helping once I have those gauntlets..." Dan muttered under his breath. "Ĉio estas fali en loko." He said in Esperanto. (_Translation: Everything is falling into place._)

"Why have you given up, Danny?" Loki asked. "Your daughters both need you. Your son needs you. Your wife needs you. A lot of people need you, and if you give up, where will that leave them?" He asked.

"If I don't do this... He'll kill everyone." Danny responded. "He had already won back when I was fourteen." He said, looking around some more.

Dan smirked in satisfaction.

Loki's hand stopped glowing, but that didn't stop an invisible spell from being cast. "Ó Óðinn, heyra mig út, vinsamlegast vernda einn við geymum svo kær." He muttered. "Ó Óðinn, heyra málefni mitt, vinsamlegast hjálpa okkur í okkar tíma þörf." He finished, still muttering. (_Translation: Oh Odin, hear me out, please protect the one we hold so dear. Oh Odin, hear my plea, please help us in our time of need._)

Danny, after a few minutes, came back with two weird metallic gloves and he reluctantly gave them to the Dan duplicate, who smirked and slipped the devices on his hands. "Chain him to the wall." The original Dan said, still having a blast aimed at Willow.

"You will not win." Loki said. "Even if Danny has given up, you still have Midgard's mightiest heroes to deal with."

"Oh contraire." Dan said. "I won the second I came into existence." He said, as his duplicate chained up the reluctant Danny and raised his hands, ready to dig the claws into the halfa.

Loki narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.

Dan growled, and let the blast off.

"No!" Danny yelled, struggling against the chains. "No! We had a deal! No!" He yelled.

"No!" Liliana yelled.

An invisible shield absorbed the blast, protecting Willow.

Loki smirked. "No one ever told you to beware of the Norse God of Magic, Tricksters, and Liars?" He asked. "Because I am he, Loki Laufeyson. And I can do much more than a simple shield."

Dan growled. "It doesn't matter now." He muttered, as his duplicate dug the claws into Danny, who screamed in pain.

"Dad!" Liliana yelled, starting to run towards him. Dan growled and sent a blast at her.

"Ó Óðinn, heyra mig út, vinsamlegast vernda einn við geymum svo kær. Ó Óðinn, heyra málefni mitt, vinsamlegast hjálpa okkur í okkar tíma þörf." He muttered quickly, aiming the spell at Liliana. (_Translation: Oh Odin, hear me out, please protect the one we hold so dear. Oh Odin, hear my plea, please help us in our time of need._)

The blast was absorbed by an invisible shield, and Dan was getting pissed at the Norse God now.

Another round of screams emitted from the struggling Danny, as the duplicate started to pull something out of Danny. A certain something that looked a lot like his ghost form...

"Ó Thor, heyra mig út, vinsamlegast hjálpa mér að berjast með styrk þrumuveðri þína. Ó Thor, heyra málefni mitt, vinsamlegast hjálpa mér með öllum mætti þínum." He continued. (_Translation: Oh Thor, hear me out, please help me fight with the strength of your thunder. Oh Thor, hear my plea, please help me with all your might._)

Loki glowed for a moment before it stopped, and he looked the same. "Thank you, brother." He muttered.

Before Liliana reached them, the duplicate had already pulled Phantom out of Danny. He had white hair, and wore his usual jumpsuit completed with belt, gloves, and boots. The strangest thing was that his eyes were a deep glowing red.

He glared down at the duplicate, then looked to the clawed gloves that were in him – causing him pain. He growled at the duplicate, and pushed him away – removing the claws. Dan called back his duplicate, and Phantom turned around to see a completely human Danny – defenseless – chained to the wall. He growled again – wanting to take his pain out on the closest person. He lunged toward Danny – who was shaking. "No, don't-"

"Dad! Don't do it!" Liliana yelled, tackling Phantom away from Danny. She made vines grow from the ground, wrapping around his limbs. He growled again, calming down a little.

Willow brought her head up for a moment, surveying the room, before she closed her her eyes and let her mind go into the darkness. Her whole body fell limp again, her breathing shallow.

Dan looked back for a moment – growling at the fact that Liliana stopped Phantom from murdering Danny.

Hulk growled. "HULK SAVE PRETTY LADY!" He roared, mind set on saving Willow.

Dan stood there for a moment, contemplating what to do.

Ice formed around the vines holding Phantom down and Liliana frowned. "Dad, listen to me. No matter what, you can't kill him. You can't."

Phantom frowned before speaking. "It hurts..." He said. "I need too... It'll stop hurting then... No more emotions..." He mumbled.

Hulk reached where Willow was chained and tried to think about the best way to get her out of the chains. Then he grabbed the base of the ones holding her legs and he pulled. He did the same to the ones holding her arms and the took her in his arms.

Dan growled, but knew in order for his plan to succeed, Phantom had to kill Danny. Danny backed as far into the wall as he could, and tried to pull off the chains.

Phantom continued pulling against the bonds. "Dad... Please..." Liliana pleased.

Phantom frowned. "I have to... It hurts too much..." He said.

Hulk lumbered over to where Danny was, ready to save him, too.

Phantom growled as did Dan who flew in their direction – and he blasted at the bonds holding Phantom down.

Phantom smirked in satisfaction and headed over toward Danny and Hulk, despite Liliana trying to stop him. He flung a ghost ray toward him.

Hulk used his body as a shield for both Danny and Willow.

"No!" Phantom seethed out. "He has to die."

Hulk growled. "No one die. Not him, not pretty woman. No one die while Hulk is here." He said at a normal level.

Loki sent a blast of lightning at Dan.

Phantom frowned. "He has to!" He pressed, charging up another blast.

"Dad! That's you that you're trying to kill!" Liliana yelled. "You can't!"

Dan turned around and quickly turned into his gaseous form, to make it pass through him.

The lightning went through Dan and went straight towards Hulk. It just bounced off his skin.

Phantom frowned, getting more frantic to kill Danny. "I have to..." He said. "It hurts too much..."

Hulk growled again. "No one have to do anything!"

Phantom charged a blast in his hands. "Yes!" He said. "I have to! It won't stop until he dies!"

Liliana narrowed her eyes. "Dad, you can't kill dad... Man that sentence was so awkward."

Loki walked over to Liliana. "Can we not just put them back together?" He whispered to her.

"Then Hulk have to protect. Hulk protect Danny and Pretty Woman." He said.

Phantom growled again. "No..." His eyes glowed a brighter red.

"Yeah. If we could manage to get the claws into him without him struggling, and put him in Danny again without him trying to get away."

"I believe I have a spell for that... Would a paralyzation spell work?" He asked.

Liliana thought for a moment, and nodded.

Dan growled, blasting at Loki.

With a wave of his hand, the blast was redirected. "Ó, faðir, Laufey, heyra mig út, vinsamlegast hjálpa mér frysta óvini mína. Ó, faðir, Laufey, heyra málefni mitt, vinsamlegast hjálpa mér með heita mínu." He said. (_Translation: Oh, father, Laufey, hear me out, please help me freeze my enemies. Oh, father, Laufey, hear my plea, please help me with my plight._)

With a wave of his now glowing blue hand, he paralyzed both Phantom and Danny.

Phantom growled but couldn't move. "Let me go!" He yelled.

Dan realized he was probably defeated for now, and frowned.

With another wave of his hand, the gauntlets flew over to him, then he handed them to Liliana.

Liliana slipped the gauntlets on and frowned. "I'm sorry dad.." She mumbled, before plunging them into Phantom who screamed at the sudden pain. She flinched, but moved him closer to Danny. She continued this until Phantom was placed inside of Danny, and then both of them screamed in unison. Liliana flinched but made them stay there until the screams mixed together into one, and his eyes turned green. She then pulled out the claws.

Loki walked up to Liliana. "Did it work?" He asked.

"I think so..." Liliana said.

With a wave of his hand, the paralyzation spell was lifted.

Hulk gently set Willow down, as if she was a glass figurine. "Is pretty woman alright?" He asked.

Liliana frowned. "I'm not sure..." She said.

Danny groaned, starting to realize what was happening.

Hulk lightly poked Willow. "Pretty woman?" He asked. "Is pretty woman okay?"

Willow made no move to get up.

Danny looked up, and scrambled backward. "He's still here..." He mumbled.

Hulk looked at Dan then roared loudly. "GET OUT! YOU HURT PRETTY WOMAN!"

Dan simply smirked. "Had she listened, that wouldn't have happened." He said.

Danny growled at Dan. "You tried to turn me into you. Again."

"BAD MAN MAKING HULK ANGRY!" Hulk roared angrily. "NO ONE LIKE HULK ANGRY!"

Dan frowned.

Danny growled again.

Liliana's eyes glowed brighter.

"Goodbye, Danny. Until later... Watch the death rates." Dan said, disappearing.

Hulk turned back to Willow and poked her again. She didn't move.

Danny sighed and took in deep breaths.

Liliana walked over to Willow.

Hulk took a deep breath and waited for a moment. Then, he let out a loud roar, which jolted Willow awake, though her eyes were still dull.

"PRETTY WOMAN ALIVE! HULK SAVE PRETTY WOMAN!" He roared.

Danny smiled a little bit. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"No..." Willow replied, eyes brimming with tears. "I don't feel it anymore... My will to fight..."

Danny frowned – wondering what Dan had done.

"My walls... They're all broken... I'm not detached anymore..." She muttered, breaking down into a sobbing mess.

"Is pretty woman okay?" Hulk asked.

Danny frowned, giving Willow a hug. "What did he do to you...?" He asked quietly, mostly to himself.

"He – He – He... I can't... It hurts too much..." She replied. "I was so scared, dad..."

Danny nodded – knowing what it was like to be scared of Dan. Heck, the first time he met him Danny couldn't sleep at night for months. And he had become a lot more protective than. "I know he's scary... I never wanted anyone else to meet him... I never thought he would escape... I didn't want this to ever happen..."

"I want the pain to go away... It hurts so much..." She muttered.

Her first sentence made tears come to Danny's eyes. '_All you wanted was to make the hurt go away!' _Echoed all through Danny's head. "I know..."

Liliana looked around the room, shivering at the dungeon feeling of it all. She looked toward her sister and frowned, tears ready to roll down her face.

"I... I've been here before..." She muttered, shaking like a leaf as all of the emotions she felt so far – fear, terror, sadness, and anger being the main ones – hit her like a bullet train going as fast as it could.

Liliana frowned. "We should go somewhere else... Safer..." She said – some tears falling.

"N – no places feels safe anymore..." Willow muttered, still shaking.

Danny frowned. "We need to leave..." He said. "H – he could come back..." He said, not being able to hold back fear in his voice.

Willow froze at the mention of _him _coming back. "M – my old room... In the tower... That was in the middle of the whole floor... We could... We could go there..."

Danny nodded. "We can if you want to..." He said.

"A – are there any p – places you can think of?" Willow asked.

"Anywhere but Amity Park..." Danny muttered, before freezing. "No, no, no, no..." He mumbled.

Hulk let Bruce have control at that point.

Liliana froze up when her dad felt more fear.

Danny grew paler. "No, no, no, no, no..." He kept on repeating.

"I – Is something wrong?" Bruce asked.

"Sam... He's gonna try and kill Sam..." Danny said, shaking.

Bruce froze. "We should be heading over there then, shouldn't we?" He asked.

Danny remained pale, but he nodded.

Liliana clenched her fists. "Should we call Aunt Val?"

"No!" Danny yelled quickly – remembering that Dan killed her easily in his time-line, right in front of him.

"I have just the spell for this." Loki said. "It is a teleportation spell. If I know of where I am teleporting to, I can teleport anywhere. And it is a good thing I know of Amity Park." He continued.

Danny nodded quickly.

"Do not freak out during this. It is a very delicate process." Loki said, body glowing a soft, light blue. "Ó, móðir, Frigga, heyra mig út, vinsamlegast hjálpa mér í minn tími af þörf. Ó, móðir, Frigga, heyra málefni mitt, vinsamlegast flytja mig til Nasty Burger í Park Amity." Loki said, spreading his arms out. The soft glow spread around the group before they teleported to the Nasty Burger in Amity Park. (_Translation: Oh, mother, Frigga, hear me out, please help me in my time of need. Oh, mother, Frigga, hear my plea, please transport me to the Nasty Burger in Amity Park._)

Danny paled when he realized where they had teleported to. He looked up and all he could see were the remains – an exploded boiler, statues of rock showing the dead, and horrible exploded bodies... He clutched his head and started shaking like a leaf – wanting to just go into the fetal position and rock until it was all over...

Liliana paled, feeling the fear off of her father.

Willow was scared out of her mind, but tried not to show it... Memories of her own slammed into her. London... Mexico City... Berlin... Budapest... Manhattan... Phil being stabbed by Loki... Vlad... Vlad again... Dan... She curled up into a tight ball as the memories played on.

"Dad... Willow... We have to go save mom... We have to..." Liliana said, trying desperately to be strong.

Willow tried to banish her memories, but failed at it.

Bruce walked over to Willow and put a hand on her. "Willow, I know what you're seeing is bad, but we need you right now." He tried to calm her down.

"Dad... Dad we have to go save mom and Jason... We have to... We can't let them die..." Liliana said, drawing Danny out of the memory.

"Right... She isn't dead... None of them are..." Danny said.

Willow, slowly, uncurled herself. "I – I think it's gotten worse, Bruce..." She whispered to him.

"And we can check with Dr. Sampson later about that, but right now we have to save your mother and your brother." Bruce replied.

Willow nodded. "Y – you're right." She let him help her stand up.

000

Danny quickly flew into FentonWorks. "Sam. We have to leave now..." He mumbled, seeing her in the living room with Jason, who had recently turned one.

Sam looked up. "What's wrong-"

"He's coming. We have to go..." He said.

Jason frowned. "Daddy upset..." He mumbled.

Willow followed, Bruce having a hand on her shoulder. Loki also followed.

Liliana came in.

Sam paled. "Him?" She asked.

Danny nodded.

Sam picked up Jason quickly. "I'll be less than ten minutes." She said, going into the other room.

Willow nudged closer to Bruce. Her eyes flickered around the room.

Danny looked around nervously.

Liliana twitched every few minutes.

Willow whimpered quietly. She still hadn't changed out of her uniform.

Sam came back a few minutes later with a bag and Jason. "Let's go." She said. "We should probably evacuate the city. Before Dan kills a thousand people."

Willow spoke for the first time since she got there. "I – I can contact D – Director Fury and he c – can... He can get the city evacuated." She replied.

000

Willow sighed at the familiarity of the tower. "J.A.R.V.I.S., where are the others?" She asked.

"_Mr. Stark is in his workshop as usual, Captain Rogers is in his room, Prince Odinson is attempting to make pop tarts in the kitchen, and Agents Barton and Romanoff are off on a mission for Director Fury._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "_Is there any specific floor you would like me to drop you off at?_" He asked.

"Avengers Common level... We have to stop Thor from blowing up the toaster... Again." Willow muttered.

"_Actually, Prince Odinson is attempting to cook the pop tarts in the oven._" J.A.R.V.I.S. corrected.

Danny's eyes widened. "J.A.R.V.I.S., that's worse." Liliana said.

"Have you tried telling him not to, J?" Willow asked.

"_Yes. And he is ignoring me._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

The elevator doors opened just as the group arrived at the elevator.

Danny, Sam, Jason, and Liliana walked inside – Sam carrying Jason. "Hey, where are Robin and Noah?" Liliana asked.

"Steve is watching them." Bruce replied as he, Willow, and Loki entered.

Liliana nodded in acknowledgment to the statement.

Danny then realized how tired he was getting. His eyes started to droop closed.

The elevator stopped. "_Avengers Common Level._" J.A.R.V.I.S. announced as the doors opened.

Willow walked out. "Thor!" She called. "We do not use the oven to cook pop tarts!" She said.

Liliana smiled a little. "That's what toasters are for!" She said, walking out.

"But toasters suck. They make toast." Danny said, following.

"I thought Tony banned you from using all kitchen appliances besides the refrigerator." She said as she entered the kitchen to see Thor taking one blackened pop tart out of the oven.

"Where did the other three go?" Thor asked.

Liliana shrugged.

Sam walked out with Jason.

"You burned them. Until they turned to ashes." Willow replied just as the pop tart in Thor's hand turned to ashes.

Sam smiled slightly.

"See, Thor?" Willow asked. "This is why Tony banned you from using everything in here besides the refrigerator."

"What did he do this time?" Tony asked, entering the room.

"He tried to cook his pop tarts in the oven." Willow answered. "At least this time they were out of the package..."

"At least you didn't have to-" Tony started. "Oh, wait. You did clean that out of the microwave..." He trailed off.

Liliana frowned.

Danny's eyes dropped more and he was ready to pass out.

Willow sighed and shook her head at Tony.

Sam noticed Danny's exhaustion. "Tony, do you have any guest rooms?" Sam asked.

Tony nodded. "Hey, J." She said to J.A.R.V.I.S. "Set the elevator course for the seventieth floor."

"_As you wish, sir._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

Danny nodded, and his eyes closed – before he fell to the ground in human form.

"Dad?" Liliana said, bending down.

Danny started shaking a little, unconscious.

Sam's eyes widened, and she wondered what had happened in the fight against Dan...

"Daddy?" Jason said, frowning.

"Are you in need of assistance, Lady Sam?" Thor asked.

"We need to get him onto a bed..." Sam said. "He's gonna have a nightmare." She said. "A bad one..."

Danny shivered some more, before tensing up. He was paler than Sam could think possible. Fear was evident on his face. "A really bad one..." Sam said, frowning.

Thor nodded and bent down to pick him up.

000

_Danny sat in the remains of an exploded building, it being completely dark other than the glowing rope holding him down and the glow of his eyes. His head was down, and he didn't notice a shadowed figure enter the room. Or the bodies he was carrying. _

"_Hello Danny." _His _voice called, and Danny picked his head up. His eyes widened in horror when he saw what _he _had set down. _

_Dead bodies. The bodies of Lancer, his parents, Sam, Tucker, Jazz... His parents... Willow, Liliana, and Jason... "I hate you..." Danny whispered, trying to hold back tears. Trying to stay strong. But, failing. _

"_You can't hate yourself, Danny." _He _said. "All of this came from you." _He _continued. _

_Danny turned his head around, but _he _forced him to look at the dead. "You wanna know who killed them? You did." He was abruptly turned to face a cracked mirror, showing his reflection... But with glowing red eyes, blue skin, fangs, and flaming hair. "It's all your fault__ – _you killed them _Danny. You think I'm a monster__ – __but, the true monster is in the mirror."_

"_No..." Danny whispered, letting tears fall. In the mirror, it seemed like his tears were blood. "No!" He didn't realize that he was dreaming__ – __nor did he realize that he was also sleep talking every word he said. He was turned to face the bodies. _

"_You killed us... It is all your fault... How could you!? You're a monster!" The voices echoed around his head, and the tears kept coming. _

"_I d__ – __didn't... I d__ – __didn't kill you..." Danny said. _

"_Lies! Lies! Look at the blood! You killed us! It's all your fault! __**Monster**__!"_

_Danny cried more – the rope bindings disappearing, as did Dan and the bodies. But he didn't notice. He curled up into a tight ball, shaking like crazy. "I tried to stop him-"_

"_It was you! Monster!"_

"_I couldn't stop him... It's all my fault!" He yelled, both in the dream world and the real world. _

"_Monster! Admit it! __**You killed us**__! You're a murderer! Monster!"_

_More tears fell from his face. "It's all my fault..."_

"_Monster."_

"_I'm the monster..." He whispered, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. _

_He looked up, shaking more. "That's right. Everything is your fault..." _He _said, appearing again. "I told you... I am inevitable. The murderer inside of you has struck again..." _He _paused, then whispered, "Danny, tell me... How does it feel to be a monster?"_

_Danny remained quiet, crying more. _

000

Tony walked over to Sam. "What is it... Three times now? That Willow's been kidnapped." He asked. "There are probably more, but it's been three times that I know of."

Sam's eyes widened with shock and fear. "Wait, what? She was kidnapped... Again?"

Tony nodded.

"By... _Him_?"

Tony nodded again. "Wonder how this will affect her P.T.S.D... I can see it's been gradually getting worse by the day."

Sam froze up. "Being around him for more than ten minutes will give anyone P.T.S.D. – for someone already with P.T.S.D... No telling how worse it'll get..." She said. "Poor Willow... This... This could break her down..."

Tony shook his head. "Actually, she had the P.T.S.D. before she joined Captain Eyepatch and his merry crew of spies and assassins." He said. "I think the doctor said... Since she was eleven."

Sam frowned, eyes widened. "She's gonna break then..." She whispered.

"She has been." Tony said, looking down at the ground. "Just like me and Cap, too... We've all been breaking. Willow with her missions, me and the water, Cap and his loneliness..." Tony paused. "She puts on a mask, to try and hide it but Cap and I can see it."

Sam frowned more.

"It's just like what Loki said to Natasha when he was evil..." Tony trailed off and J.A.R.V.I.S. continued for Tony.

"'_Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire?_'" J.A.R.V.I.S. paused just like Loki had that day. "'_Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's GUSHING red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. It's PATHETIC!_'" J.A.R.V.I.S. paused. "'_You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!_'" Another pause. "'_I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is MY bargain, you mewling quim!_'"

"Loki was... Sadistic..." Sam said, eyes widened.

Tony sighed. "Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S." He muttered sarcastically. "But I didn't mean all of that. Just when he said, 'Your ledger is dripping, it's GUSHING red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. It's PATHETIC!'" Tony paused. "And when he said, 'You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!'" Another pause. "She's said it herself. She lies and kills in the service of liars and killers... And that her ledger is dripping with red." He thought for a moment. "She started seeing Dr. Sampson – the one who diagnosed her with P.T.S.D. – right after a certain mission went down south for her... Because of a daydream turned bad... She was chasing a target in London... He got away because of her daydream... And a bomb..."

Sam frowned. "Oh..." She mumbled.

"Just... Don't tell her that you know... I don't think she even knows that I know..." Tony said.

Sam nodded. "Okay..." She said quietly.

Thor walked into the room. "Why is he insulting himself while he sleeps?" He asked, looking at Danny.

Sam frowned and walked over toward Danny, who was muttering things like, "It's all my fault... He's right... I'm the monster..."

Sam frowned more. "Danny, you aren't a monster..." She said to him. "It's not your fault..."

Tony put a hand on Thor's shoulder. "Point Break, there are just some things you should wait to ask later." He whispered.

Danny was trembling, ready to go into the fetal position. Sam frowned even more. "We have to wake him up... Before he starts screaming. That's how the nightmares usually end..." She frowned more. "Danny, you need to wake up." She said in a more stern voice, though it was evident she was freaking out.

"Would you like some water?" Thor asked.

Tony didn't show it, but when Thor said water, he got a bit scared.

Sam nodded. "Danny, come on, you need to wake up." She said.

Danny shook some more. "It's my fault he's here..." He whispered.

Thor left to go get some water while Tony, still hiding it, tried to banish the memories of Afghanistan from his mind.

Sam frowned, waiting. She wanted to snap Danny out of it – soon.

Thor came back quickly with a bucket of water.

Sam took the bucket. "Danny, you have to wake up." She muttered, throwing the water in the bucket at him.

He shot right up, shaking like a leaf. His eyes were closed and he stumbled backwards. He opened his eyes. "H – he's not here..." He looked at Sam. "Y – you're still alive..." He said, calming down a little.

Sam nodded. "How many people died in this one?" She asked.

"The original accident ones, plus the kids..." He responded. "In this one it was all because of me..." He paused, trembling. "I killed everyone... And _he_ made me look at their bloody bodies, telling me stuff like it was all my work..." He stopped talking for a moment. "I was crying but all my tears were blood..." He then permanently stopped, the subject too painful.

Tony froze at his words, remembering how terrifying Afghanistan was for him. He said nothing and showed nothing.

Sam frowned, and hugged Danny. "We aren't dead, Danny... We won't die anytime soon. _He_ will be stopped." Sam said to him.

Danny nodded, still getting over the nightmare. "Just... Keep me away from mirrors for a while..." Danny said quietly.

Sam nodded.

Tony nodded too.

000

"_Agent Fenton, Mr. Stark would life for me to inform you that it is time for dinner._" J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice rang through Willow's room.

Willow shook her head. "Tell him I'm not going." She replied. "I'm not hungry." She said.

"_Agent Fenton, you haven't eaten anything since last night. It would be in your best interest-_" Willow broke J.A.R.V.I.S. off.

"I'm not going, J.A.R.V.I.S.. End of story." She said.

If an A.I. could sigh, J.A.R.V.I.S. must've. "_As you wish, Agent Fenton._" He replied.

Willow sighed and landed on her bed. Someone knocked on her door a few minutes later.

"I'm _not_ hungry!" Willow called out.

"It's me." A female voice said – the voice belonging to Liliana.

"I'm still not going down to eat." Willow replied.

Liliana sighed and phased into the room. "Willow, you can't starve yourself..." She said, trying to convince her sister to eat.

"I'm not hungry..." Willow said.

Liliana narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "J.A.R.V.I.S., when was the last time Willow ate?" She asked.

"_Agent Fenton ate at noon yesterday and has not eaten since._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

"Предатель." Willow muttered. (_Translation: Traitor._)

Liliana looked at Willow, arms still crossed. "You're eating." She said.

"I'm not hungry." Willow replied.

"You need to eat." Liliana said.

Willow shook her head. "I. Am. Not. Hungry."

Liliana's eyes started glowing. "You can't starve yourself to death, Willow..." She mumbled.

Willow's eyes glowed as well. "I've gone longer than this without food." She said. "Мне не нужна любая пища. Я не голоден." She muttered. (_Translation: I don't need any food. I'm not hungry._)

"It's not good for you." Liliana said.

"I know, but I'm just not hungry..."

"Do you want me to get dad to drag you to dinner?" Liliana asked.

Willow frowned. "Я бы не хотел, но... Мне все равно." She muttered. She sighed but stayed put. (_Translation: I'd rather not but... I don't care._)

Liliana pulled out a phone, and called Danny. "Dad, Willow won't eat..." She said. "Can you help drag her to the dining room?" She asked.

Willow turned to lay on her stomach, her face in the pillow. "Предатель!" She groaned into the pillow. "Still not eating." She muttered. (_Translation: Traitor!_)

"_I'll be up there in a minute..."_ Danny said, hanging up the phone.

Willow gripped onto her mattress like a lifeline, not wanting to go eat. "И. Ат. Не. Идти." She muttered. (_Translation: I. Am. Not. Going._)

Liliana frowned.

Willow's eyes glowed fiercely into the pillow and her knuckles turned white from her death grip on the mattress.

Liliana tried to pry her sister off the bed.

Willow wouldn't let go of the bed. "Nien!" She cried. (_Translation: No!_)

Liliana continued trying to pry her off the bed.

Willow growled. "No!" She said, not letting go of the bed. "I'm not going!"

"I won't let you starve yourself." Liliana said. _Not like I did when I thought you were dead. _She mentally added on.

"But I'm not hungry!" She replied.

Just then, Danny also came into the room. His eyes had a dull quality to them, but he narrowed them anyways. "Willow, you have to eat." He said.

"I'm not hungry." Willow replied.

Danny also walked over and tried to pull Willow off the bed. "You have to." He said.

Willow tried her hardest not to let go of the mattress, but her father was stronger, and her death grip on it had ended as the mattress left her hands. "Nien!" She said. (_Translation: No!_)

"Willow, you have to eat." Danny said again. "If I have to eat, so do you." He said.

"But I... Nevermind..." She gave up the fight, knowing that she was losing it, being outnumbered two to one.

Danny sighed. "Are you gonna walk to the dining room, or will we have to drag you?" He asked.

"I'll walk." Willow replied in a small voice.

He nodded, and let go of her.

Willow, eyes dull again, walked to the door, somewhat frowning at herself for her stupidity.

Danny and Liliana followed.

"Это было глупо с моей стороны думать, что я мог осуществить это…" Willow verbally and mentally kicked herself. (_Translation: It was stupid of me to think I could pull that off..._)

000

Willow walked into the dining room, not looking at anyone. Her head was bowed down in defeat.

_Its just dinner..._ Liliana mind spoke to her.

_I don't want to be in a large group right now... And I'm not hungry... _Willow replied.

Liliana frowned. _You have to eat, Wills._

_I'm just not feeling it anymore... I feel like I'm just a broken spirit in a shell..._ Willow explained.

_Oh..._ Liliana responded. _It gets better though..._ She said.

_Then why do I feel dead inside?_ Willow asked.

_It's how you always feel at first..._ Liliana responded.

_I... I feel like I'm slipping away... I don't feel the same..._ Willow thought-mumbled.

Liliana frowned. _It never goes away all the way, Willow... But, you're strong - stronger than me... If anyone could get rid of it, I have no doubt that you can._

_Willow... I know you better than anyone else. You're strong..._

_I'm not strong... I'm just not... I'm just weak person who acts strong... _Willow replied.

_No you aren't. Willow, you're amazing. You're tough – you are strong. You're everything but weak._

_That didn't stop my walls from... from... from... breaking..._

_Whatever he said to you, it isn't true. You aren't weak._

000

_Willow ran down the halls of the A.I.M. base in Mexico City, Mexico. Twenty guards were chasing her. That was when her world went crashing down – literally. Someone had hit her over the head with something and she was knocked out._

_000_

_(Warning. Dark scene ahead. There will be a lot of blood and violence. And a man using a knife on a woman. Don't like? Just skip until I say it's over.)_

_Willow woke up in chains. Her arms were above her and spread apart, he feet below her and spread apart._

"_I'm so glad you could join us, Agent Fenton." A voice said and revealed a male with brown hair and gray eyes._

"_Who the fuck are you?" Willow asked._

_The cock of a pistol was heard and a bullet lodged itself in Willow's knee. "I WILL BE ASKING THE QUESTIONS!" The man yelled, pulling out a knife and walking over to Willow._

"_Who sent you here?" The man asked. Willow gave no answer, so he slashed her arm and Willow bit her lip in pain. "Who sent you?" He tried again. No answer again, so he slashed above the previous cut. Willow bit her lip in pain again. "Who. Sent. You." The man tried a third time._

"_D__ – __Director Fury." Willow answered, but the man just slashed her a third time._

"_Because it took so long for you to answer, I'm going to finish this arm." The man said, making more slash marks on her arms. When he was done, there were twenty cuts on her right arm, all of them bleeding profusely. "Why are you here?" He asked. Willow gave no answer. "I thought you would have learned." He commented, slashing Willow's other arm twice. Willow whimpered._

"_Why are you here?" He tried again. No answer, and two more slashes. "Answer the question and I won't stab you in the chest, girl."_

"_B__ – __because I'm supposed to shut down this A.I.M. base." Willow answered, but that didn't save her from being slashed on her other arm._

"_Because you were being so bad..." The man started. "I'm going to have fun _playing _with you." He continued, slashing an 'x' onto both of her thighs and taking a branding iron out and lifting up her jacket. He placed the hot branding iron on Willow's stomach and she screamed in pain. He lifted it up minutes later, and 'A.I.M.' was branded on her stomach._

_Then, he let her fall to the floor, a bleeding and convulsing mess on the cold cement ground._

_The man took the knife and flipped Willow onto her back – holding her down – and carved a shaky circle on it and drew the A.I.M. logo on her back, Willow screaming in pain the whole time while he just laughed._

_(There. It's over now.)_

Willow woke up screaming. She pulled up her shirt and there it was in a pale white, 'A.I.M.' She took a look at her right arm and twenty pale white lines were seen. Looking at the other arm gave her the same results. She pulled up her pant leg and looked at the white 'x' on her leg.

Willow was past hyperventilation. "Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream..." She tried telling herself. "Not a dream..." She muttered. "A nightmarish memory..." She whimpered, hoping that she didn't wake anyone because of her screaming.

_Willow?_ A voice called to her.

_Huh?_ Willow asked after she jumped up and fell off the bed.

_What's wrong?_ The voice – Liliana – asked.

_Besides the fact that I just woke up screaming because of one of my memories-turned-nightmare, then I fell off my bed because you scared me?_ Willow asked.

Liliana frowned on her head, feeling sorry for her sister – who didn't deserve having to go through this pain. _It's fine... If you don't want to tell me..._

_No! I do want to tell you it's just... Hard to..._ Willow replied.

_Oh..._ Liliana said.

_He... He tortured me... Physically... With a knife and a branding iron... I still have the scars for that..._

_I'm so sorry..._ Liliana answered.

_You don't have to be sorry... Only myself and the person who did this..._Willow replied.

Liliana frowned. _Oh..._

_It's the damned P.T.S.D.._ Willow said.

Liliana solemnly nodded. _You want to go on a flight...? To calm down a little?_ She asked.

_N__ – __no thanks, I think... I think I just need to try and ignore it without anything to help..._ Willow paused. _I mean... ignore it on my own... Dammit, that sentence is not coming out how I want it to._

_You sure?_

_Yeah. I'm sure. I just need to... Deal with it in my own way._ Willow paused again. _Finally worded that in a way that doesn't sound offensive to mean... I think..._ She sighed.

_You sure?_ Liliana asked Willow.

_Y__ – __yeah... I'm sure._ Willow replied.

000

Willow lay her back against her bed. She hadn't left her room since dinner. And that was yesterday. At six at night. Now it was ten in the morning. She hadn't slept since her nightmare, and she hadn't even moved from her spot.

There was a knock at her door.

"Who is it?" Willow asked tiredly.

"It's me." Danny said.

"Come in." Willow replied.

Danny walked inside the room.

"What's up?" Willow asked.

"Other than the really, really screwed up stuff, nothing much..." Danny replied.

Willow got up and sat on her bed, trying to banish the memories of her nightmare from last night from her head.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, noticing her distress.

Willow sighed. "Another memory-turned-nightmare of a mission." Willow replied. "It makes the other ones about missions seem pleasant, like a walk through a field of flowers."

"Oh." Danny replied, frowning.

"I hate A.I.M..." She muttered angrily, gripping her blankets.

Danny nodded, knowing Willow had more than enough reason to.

"Sick and twisted bastards..." She muttered. "A.I.M. and I have some bad blood that rivals the bad blood between them and S.H.I.E.L.D." She said, knuckles turning white as her grip tightened.

Danny nodded quietly. "Oh..." He said.

She looked down, eyes dull. "But my first mission involving them..." She took a deep breath, knowing that if she continued, she had to keep going until the end. "That was the worst of them all... When I got back to base, the med team had to put me in a medically induced coma because of the hell A.I.M. put me through."

Danny frowned, eyes flashing green for a moment – angry at A.I.M..

"Only a few people know what happened that day... Those people being Director Fury, Agent Hill, Agent Coulson, and the med team who treated me." She explained. "My clearance level had just been upgraded from a six to a seven that day... And they sent me to Mexico City because there had been reports of A.I.M. activity there..."

Danny frowned.

"The mission... It was going so well in the beginning... Then a guard spotted me... He called more guards..." She paused before continuing. "And soon I had twenty guards after me... Somehow, I was hit over the head with something... Next thing I knew, I was chained to a wall... And this guy was there... I asked him who he was and he shot me in the knee..."

Danny clenched his fists at that.

Willow was shaking violently as she retold the mission. "He brought out a knife and started to interrogate me... I tried to do what I was trained to do during an interrogation, which is to not answer the questions, but... Every time I didn't answer... He... He..." She was hyperventilating somewhat as she tried to get her words out.

Danny listened, angry.

"He would use the knife on my arm... We had only gotten through two questions when he got annoyed with me... And I had twenty cuts from the knife on each arm... He used the knife on my legs before he... He brought out a hot branding iron and he used it on my stomach..." Willow continued shaking, her breathing getting rapid.

Danny's eyes flashed green, and stayed that way – that's how ticked he was at that man who did that to Willow.

"Then he let me go... Knowing that I was too weak and in too much pain to run... But then he brought out the knife again and he put me on my stomach, so my back was showing..." Willow closed her eyes and let tears fall. "And he used the knife like it was a pencil or something... And he put the A.I.M. logo there... Then he just left me there..." She paused. "T – the medics said I was on the brink of death when Clint brought me to them..."

Danny's eyes widened. "Those bastards." He whispered.

"C – Clint doesn't even know what happened that day... Even though he was the one who saved me..." She paused. "When I got to the Helicarrier... The last thing I can clearly remember was being put in the medically induced coma... I woke up a month later..." She finished, hugging her knees tightly, some of the pale white scars peeking out of her sleeves.

Danny gave her a hug. "I'm sorry they did that to you..." He mumbled.

"Y – you don't have to be sorry, dad... It was my s – stupid mistake that got me knocked out, and my training that earned that torture..." She paused. "M – my P.T.S.D. j – just got worse from there... Though it only started to show after the mission in London..." She replied.

Danny nodded quietly, blaming himself. _If I had paid more attention, she wouldn't have been kidnapped in the first place._ He thought, sadly.

Willow shivered as something the man said to her ran through her mind. '_You will never be as good __of an Agent as Black Widow or Hawkeye.__'_ "I am as good as them..." She muttered. "We're equals..." She continued, shaking. "Nat and Clint don't care about my age, or why I became an agent... Right?" She mumbled.

"Of course they don't. They're your friends." Danny said.

Willow, still shaking like a leaf, slowly unzipped her uniforms jacket, fumbling with the zipper a few times.

Danny frowned, eyes still green.

Soon, she had gotten it unzippered and she shed it, a short-sleeved, black belly shirt under the jacket. On her arms, most of the pale white scars could be seen, and the pale white scar on her stomach that said 'A.I.M.' could also be seen. If you looked at her back, half of the pale white A.I.M. logo could be seen. She was shaking once the jacket was off.

Danny's eyes widened in horror, and again, he said, "Those bastards."

Willow nodded weakly, just explaining what happened feeling like a punch in the stomach. Shaking violently, she grabbed her jacket, putting it back on. She fumbled with the zipper for a few minutes before she got it and zipped it back up.

Danny growled angrily at what they had done to her.

Willow, originally planning to go to the gym, gave up on that plan and just fell backwards onto her bed, still shaking slightly. "Столько боли... И кровь..." She muttered to herself in Russian. (_Translation: So much pain... And blood..._)

Danny gave Willow a hug.

Willow melted into her father's arms, muttering things in foreign languages, but sometimes muttering something in English.

000

Danny sighed, walking into a room silently.

Willow followed, shaking only a tiny bit still from what she explained to her dad.

Danny sighed and looked up – only to see something he so wanted to avoid. A mirror. He froze, staring at his reflection. What he saw, he feared. White hair in flames... A muscular build... Sharp fangs... A jumpsuit... Blue skin... Blood red eyes... HIM. With blood dripping from his hands, and a sinister smile. He widened his eyes and quickly smashed the mirror with an ecto ray. "GO AWAY!" He shouted, clutching his head. "IT WON'T HAPPEN! LEAVE ME ALONE!" He shouted, eyes closed.

_Danny, it is inevitable..._ A voice whispered in his head as he fell to the ground. _You cannot escape yourself..._ "I can try..." He said quietly, almost as pale as his hair in ghost form – while shaking like a leaf. Then he heard laughter, and he went into the fetal position.

Willow jumped up in terror when he shot the ecto-beam at the mirror, but her terror turned to worry when her father went into the fetal position. She didn't know what to do. She was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., she wasn't trained to help people in situations like this. Hell, she wasn't really trained to help people period. She was trained to spy on people, kill people in many different ways, speak many different languages, and lie.

_You will fail..._ The voice said. "Go away!" He yelled at the voice, obviously out of it. _Look who's scared... Of himself._ The voice taunted. _Danny, how does it feel to be a monster? This whole thing is YOUR fault._ Danny felt a few tears fall from his face.

Willow froze, not knowing what to do to help, and not knowing if he was talking to her or not.

"I'm not a monster..." He whispered, clutching his head while STILL in the fetal position.

"Y – you're not a monster, dad..." Willow said from her spot. "You're a good person..."

Danny stayed in his little ball, the image of what he saw in the mirror was fresh in his mind. _If you had never cheated, I would have never existed. It's. All. Your. Fault._

Willow's muscles tensed, and she still didn't know what to do to help her father.

Danny continued shaking, and started hyperventilating when his traitorous mind started showing him flashes of dead bodies.

Willow frowned. Inside, she was panicking. On the outside, she tried to look as calm as possible.

Liliana walked into the room and widened her eyes, seeing the broken mirror and her father in the fetal position. "Dad!" She yelled, running toward him.

Loki followed after his fiancee, taking notice of Willow but he decided that he would wait until later to talk to her.

Danny could hear Liliana, but thought it was part of the daydream. _You can't escape from who you are!_ The voice yelled, then everything went away.

Willow still stood frozen, like a statue.

Danny continued hyperventilating, but he was slowly calming down. He was still shaking like a leaf, but now he was regaining some of his color.

"What hap – happened?" Liliana asked, feeling the fear radiating off Danny.

Willow didn't hear her sister, however, as she was too deep into herself, trying to find out a way to help her father. She didn't even know they were there, or that Danny had snapped out of it.

Danny's eye twitched a little, as he tried to calm down.

Willow just stood there, unmoving. She didn't even blink. The only movements that showed that she was alive was the moving of her chest.

Liliana ran over to Danny. "Dad, come on, snap out of it..." She mumbled.

"Are you alright, Danny?" Loki asked.

Danny remained quiet and unanswering, shaking a little from time to time.

Liliana bit her lip, frowning.

Tony walked into the room at that moment.

"Would you like for me to get some wa-" Tony broke Loki off.

"NO!" He said. "NO MORE WATER IN THIS TOWER BESIDES THE TAP! NO BUCKETS OF WATER!"

Tony's yelling was enough to make Danny flinch, but realize what had just happened. He widened his eyes and slowly uncurled himself from the fetal position.

Tony covered his face with his arms, and he was shaking slightly. "No more water..." He muttered as Pepper walked in.

"What's going on here, I heard Tony yelling-" She broke herself off as she saw what Tony was doing.

Danny frowned, still trembling. "N – n – nothing..." He said, trying to act like nothing just happened.

Pepper looked at Danny, worry in her eyes. "Are you alright, Danny?" She asked.

"I – I'm fine..." He tried to lie.

Liliana narrowed her eyes. "Dad... You were freaking out on the floor! That isn't nothing!"

Willow slowly blinked her eyes, coming back out of herself.

Danny noticed, and he was also making sure to avoid looking at the shattered mirror.

Liliana noticed as well. "Why didn't you do anything?" She asked her sister.

This time Willow heard Liliana. "I tried to but... It's not in my training." Willow replied. "I'm not trained to help people in situations like that, I didn't know what to do. Hell, I'm not even trained to help people period!" She continued. "I'm trained to kill, to lie while undercover, to speak many languages, to interrogate people violently, to read emotions, to ignore my pain and emotions – though that's been going _so _well –, and to spy on people." She kept going. "I'm. Not. Trained. To. Help. People."

Liliana frowned.

"I – I was fine..." Danny said, trying to ignore his emotions.

Willow looked at Danny. "You blasted that poor, defenseless mirror to pieces."

Danny frowned, a flash of what he saw appearing again. "It was calling me a monster..." He mumbled.

Pepper lightly touched Tony's shoulder. "Come on, Tony. We're going to go calm down and go to bed..." She said, leading him out of the room. "You're not in Afghanistan anymore." She said as they walked away.

Liliana frowned at what her father had said.

Loki muttered something in Norse, but it was incoherent.

000

Willow looked down at the city below her. She stood on Tony's walkway – the one that took off his suit. Her eyes were dull and it looked like all the shine had been taken from her hair. She was broken, depressed, and in pain. She just wanted it to end... Just one more step and it would end, and she would be happy again.

She looked down again, her resolve to do this – to end the pain – firm. "Just one more step..." She muttered, her voice lifeless.

"One more step to do what?" A female voice asked.

"To end the pain... It hurts so much, I can't take it..." Willow replied.

"What's wrong?" The voice asked.

"It hurts so much..." Willow replied. "My walls have been broken and the pain is getting in... I just want the pain to end..."

"Suicide isn't the answer, Willow..."

"I don't... I don't know how to end the pain... Except for this way..." She looked like she was going to take that last step – the step off the ledge.

"You can't." The voice said, appearing to Willow as none other than her Aunt Danielle. She was hovering a few feet over the edge.

Willow looked away, tears in her eyes. "It hurts... It hurts too much to continue... I try to hide it, but it just makes it worse..."

"What happened that made it hurt so much?" Danielle asked.

"My walls were broken... They all broke down and the pain got through..." She replied, her dull eyes overflowing with pain.

Danielle frowned. "Who could have done something like this?" She asked herself.

"I can't say his name... If I say it, it will make it all too real..." She said.

Danielle nodded quietly. "It's okay..."

Willow, not wanting to go through with her plan at the moment, took a step back. Then she fell to her knees, crying.

Danielle frowned and landed next to her. "It'll be okay..." She said.

"It's never going to be the same... I'll never be the same... I thought I was separate... I thought I had my own code, my own walls to protect me..." Willow sobbed. "I thought I had something that made up for the horrors... But they're a part of me, and they will never go away... Unlike the walls..."

"The horrors of life is a part of it, just like love is, and happiness is... It comes with the package deal... It might seem bad now, but things will get better."

"Those aren't the horrors I meant... I meant the horrors of my job... I have to lie and kill, in the service of liars and killers... I have to – to – to..." Willow never finished her sentence as she kept crying.

Danielle frowned, and set her hand on Willow's shoulders. "It'll be okay... Are the people you lie and kill good people, or bad people?"

"I don't know anymore... They just tell me about them and I go off to do it... They're probably bad people, though..." Willow replied.

Danielle nodded slightly. "If they're bad, doesn't that mean you are lying and killing to protect the good people?" She said.

Willow shook her head. "Sometimes... Sometimes the good people die too... And I was supposed to save them..." She said. "There's so much red on my ledger..."

Danielle frowned. "That's only sometimes. How many times HAVE you saved someone?"

Willow thought for a moment. "I think... Twice... I don't keep track, not with how much red there is on my ledger... Red that I can't wipe out." She replied.

Danielle frowned. "It was more than that, I'm sure." She said.

"It still outnumbers how many I've killed... I'm no expert marksman like Clint... Sometimes I miss and... The good people get hurt instead of the bad..." Willow looked down at the bustling city below.

Danielle frowned. "Those were accidents."

Willow frowned. "But they still added to the red on my ledger..."

"Accidents are that; accidents. You didn't mean to kill them."

"Everyone I kill, accidental or not... They add red to my ledger... No matter how hard I try to make it go away, it just keeps coming..." Willow explained.

Danielle frowned again. "I know. But those are all mistakes. Mistakes are that – mistakes..."

Willow got up. "I'd better get ready..." She said. "They want to poke around my brain to see if I'm stable enough to continue working without being 'rehabilitated'... Probably going to fail that..." She continued.

Danielle frowned.

"At least they can't fire me..." Willow said with a weak laugh.

Dani still frowned. "I guess they can't."

"Though I wish they could..." She muttered.

Danielle frowned.

"I... I should probably get changed." Willow said. "I need to be in uniform for this." Then, she walked back into the tower, shaking slightly.

Danielle frowned and pulled out a phone, then quickly dialed Danny's number. "Hello, Danny? I was just talking to Willow..." Danielle said. "Actually, I was talking her out of suicide. We need to talk."

"_She... What?_" Danny asked, like he couldn't comprehend it.

"She. Was. Gonna. Commit. Suicide. What happened?" Dani asked.

"_She had to face my worst enemy... And I couldn't stop him..._" Was the reply.

"Vlad?" Dani asked.

"_No... She had to face HIM. Dan._"

"Who's he?" Dani asked.

"_My worst nightmare..._" Danny replied. "_He's haunted me since before you were even created... He destroyed the world in a different time__-__line..._"

"Wait..."

"_In that time__-__line he started killing by killing Sam... Tucker... Jazz... My parents... Mr. Lancer... Then he moved on to Danny Fenton..._"

"What do you mean?" Danielle asked in a worried tone.

"_I mean she had to face my ghost half from an evil future..._" Danny replied. "_One who was the most powerful ghost to exist. He reduced Vlad into a hermit..._"

Then, Dani dropped the phone.

"_Danielle?_" Danny asked.

She caught the phone and put her ear to it again. "No wonder she's so scared."

"S – sorry," Bruce stuttered. "but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and..." He paused, trying to figure out a way to word this. "There's another reason why Willow had to go... And it's tied to the reason she tried to jump."

Danielle looked up. "What's – what's the reason?" She asked.

"P.T.S.D.." Bruce looked down. "She was diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder last year... She thinks it's gotten worse."

Danielle frowned. "That could be it..." She said quietly.

Bruce kept looking down. "All of her missions, mixed in with what Vlad did to her – twice –, and what just happened..." He stopped. "She prides herself in having these mental barriers, that only she can take down when she wants to. All of that... It just broke down her walls."

Danielle frowned. "Oh..." She said.

"I'm just worried." Bruce said. "She's only tried one other time, and Dr. Sampson said she was doing so good... I think she's been setback because of all this... And Fury, he won't give her a vacation. He doesn't give anyone vacations. The only thing that's close to a vacation for her is medical leave..."

"_Oh..._" Danny said. "_I believe that anyone who has to suffer meeting HIM needs time away..._" He muttered.

Danielle frowned.

"Oh, she'll get it." Bruce said. "I have a meeting scheduled with Fury after her psych eval is done." He explained. "And that's where I will personally threaten him to give her vacation time. Everyone has some fear of the other guy. Even Tony, though he doesn't show it." He paused. "Anyone who wants to help is invited." He added.

"I'm in." Both Dani and Danny said at the same time.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Bruce asked.

"_Yes, Dr. Banner?_" The A.I. answered.

"When is Willow's psych eval supposed to end?" He asked.

"_Agent Fenton's psychological evaluation with Dr. Sampson is set to end in one hour._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "_Is that all, Dr. Banner?_"

"Yeah. Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S.." Bruce said.

"_It is no problem, Dr. Banner. Mr. Stark made me to help, and that is what I am here for._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

"_I'll be over by then._" Danny replied as Dani jumped at J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice.

"Oh, that's just J.A.R.V.I.S. He's an A.I. that Tony created years ago." Bruce said. "Tony has J.A.R.V.I.S. here, in his Malibu home, in his suits..." Bruce paused. "Anyways... Don't make any pirate jokes when we get to the meeting..." Bruce said. "Fury can only take so much from Tony. We need him to agree, not get furious."

Danielle nodded.

000

Bruce walked into Director Fury's office, followed by Danny and Danielle.

"Thanks for doing this, Director." Bruce said as Director Fury turned around in his chair in all his eyepatchy glory.

"It's no problem of mine, Dr. Banner." Fury said. "I see you brought some guests with you..."

"They're here because we all want the same thing, sir." Bruce replied.

"And what would that be?" Fury asked, putting his elbows on his desk and lacing his fingers together.

"We were wondering if Willow could get some time off." Danielle said.

Fury narrowed his eye. "I don't know if you know this or not, but I run a top-secret government organization by the name of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. We're also called S.H.I.E.L.D.." He started, standing up. "I cannot have agents taking vacations whenever they want, especially the high clearance leveled ones such as Agent Fenton."

"Sir," Bruce started. "Has Dr. Sampson even told you about any of their sessions?"

"No, he hasn't." Fury replied. "It's called client-patient confidentiality." He said. "Agent Fenton will tell me when she wants to tell me."

"She is not well mentally right now." Danielle said. "She just got back from being kidnapped by THE most sadistic being to have ever walked the earth and she has no will to live anymore. She's mentally exhausted."

"And what does that have to do with getting Agent Fenton vacation time?" Fury asked. "She's been through things like that before."

"But not on this scale." Bruce pointed out. He rubbed his temples. "Last year, Dr. Sampson diagnosed her with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Agent Fenton had it under control, at the time. But then, with what just happened, it got worse and she backpedaled back to the start." He explained. "She tried to jump off of Stark Tower, sir."

"I may not have a degree in psychology but if you keep pushing her like this, she's going to break down." Bruce continued. "She may rebuild her walls, but they won't be as strong as the first set. They'll break like that." He snapped his fingers with the last word. "And soon, she won't even have the will to make her mental barriers."

"'Things like Dan before'?" Danny questioned, eyes blazing. "Nothing is worse than him. He destroyed both the ghost zone and the human world, killed off almost all of the human race, handicapped almost all of the ghosts, and he was only stopped because Clockwork meddled and stopped it."

Danielle's eyes were wide at the description of Dan's terror.

Fury narrowed his eye again, and was about to retort, but Bruce interrupted him.

"I came here with one thing in mind, and that was getting my wife vacation time. If I have to let the other guy out to do it, then so be it. But I will do whatever it takes to get her some time off."

Danny nodded in agreement, eyes narrowed.

Danielle nodded as well, arms crossed.

Fury sighed. "Two weeks. Then it's back to work for Agent Fenton." He caved. "You better hope this does her good, Dr. Banner." He narrowed his eye. "Because she's one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best."

Danny smiled slightly in satisfaction.

"I'm sure it will do her good, Director." Bruce said. "Is she still here?" He asked.

Fury nodded. "She's in the workout room, as usual." He said, sitting down and going back to his paperwork.

000

The doors to the workout room slid open just as Willow landed in the boxing ring. "I'm okay!" She called out, not knowing that Bruce, Danny, and Dani were in the room.

Dani smiled a bit.

Willow noticed the three and froze. "Uh, hi, guys..." She said. "What goes on?"

"Well... We convinced Fury to give you a two week vacation." Danny said.

"Is there any reason I need one?" Willow frowned, trying to play dumb. "And how did you convince him to do that?"

Danny gave her a look. "Danielle told me what happened." He said.

Willow froze at his words and slowly walked out of the boxing ring. "It got to be too much..." Willow muttered, her demeanor changing like the snap of Bruce's fingers from before. "I've been in so much mental pain since I got back... I've been trying to hide it, I was trying to be strong... I didn't want you guys to worry..." She continued. "But... It just got to be too much... I couldn't take it, and I thought that the only way to get rid of it was..." She stopped, looking down. She broke down on the floor of the workout room. "I thought I could... I thought I could handle it..." She sobbed.

Danny walked over to her and gave her a hug. "Willow... I know it's hard but suicide isn't the answer..."

Willow shook like a leaf. "It hurts and... I can't block it out... I was trying to be strong but I ended up almost jumping off the tower again." She muttered.

Danny frowned. "This isn't just because of..." He trailed off. "Is it..?" He asked with a frown.

"N – no..." Willow shook her head. "I'm sure Bruce told you already... I have P.T.S.D... It started when I was eleven... Or that's what Dr. Sampson keeps telling me..."

Danny frowned, but nodded. "I thought so..."

"And it – it's just been getting worse... The P.T.S.D., I mean..." Willow let her sentence hang, hoping they wouldn't ask how it's getting worse.

Danielle frowned. "How – How is it getting worse...?"

If it was possible, Willow's frown deepened even more. "T – t – th – the... The nightmares..." She paused. "T – they've gotten to the point where it's not when I'm sleeping anymore..." She continued. "Not that I am sleeping..." She added under her breath..

Danielle frowned. "Oh... I'm sorry, Willow..."

Willow shook her head. "N – no... Dr. Sampson said... He said that I should talk about it... And I want to but... I don't know... I don't know how to put it into words."

Danny frowned. "Oh..."

"A – and... I haven't really been sleeping lately... It's more like I sleep for an hour then wake up from a nightmare... A – and then... I just don't go back to sleep..." Willow continued. "I - I'm usually up by... One or two in the – the morning."

Danny frowned more. "I haven't been able to sleep either, Willow..."

"And then there are... The sounds... I hear it... It makes me think that I'm still wherever the vision is and that... That this has been a dream..." Willow muttered. "I feel like a war veteran, but I'm not... I'm only an agent... I'm only twenty... I shouldn't be fearing for my life every second of every day..." Willow shook like a violent shaking leaf and continued. "But I do fear for it... One of my enemies could come for me... Or... Or... Or..." She cried harder, and by this point she was near hyperventilation.

"Or what?" Danielle asked softly.

Willow curled into herself, somewhat. "I... I can't bring myself to... To say it yet..." She said.

"It's okay..." Danielle said.

"It'll never be the same... I'll never be the same..." Willow muttered.

"I know..." Danielle said quietly.

000

The sound of Willow's soft voice singing a hard rock song filled the entire floor. It was a good thing that no one else was sleeping on this floor. Awake, on the other hand, was another subject, as there were two people on the floor who were awake – Willow and Danny.

"_Here I lie forever _

_Sorrow still remains _

_Will the water pull me down and wash it all away _

_Come and take me over _

_Welcome to the game _

_Will the current drag me down and carry me away _

_Suddenly the light begins to fade_"

Danny was taking a quiet stroll through the floor – having been awakened by the gruesome deaths of his family... Again. For the fifth time that night. He shuddered, trying to get the screams out of his head, when he heard singing.

Willow continued to sing, her voice getting louder.

"_HOPELESS _

_I'm falling down _

_FILTHY _

_I can't wake up _

_I can not hold on _

_I will not let go _

_WORTHLESS _

_It's over now _

_GUILTY _

_There's no way out _

_I can not hold on _

_I will not let go_"

Danny frowned, but continued to listen.

Willow's voice got softer again, though the electric guitar was being strummed at a fast pace.

"_Silent I go under _

_I am not afraid _

_I can see the daylight shine _

_And slowly drift away _

_Safe to say it's over _

_Sink into the grave _

_There is nothing left inside _

_But I am wide awake _

_I can hear the devil call my name_"

Danny frowned, realizing it was Willow. But he didn't know where she was.

Willow's voice got louder as the electric guitar got deeper.

"_HOPELESS _

_I'm falling down _

_FILTHY _

_I can't wake up _

_I can not hold on _

_I will not let go _

_WORTHLESS _

_It's over now _

_GUILTY _

_There's no way out _

_I can not hold on _

_I will not let go_

_HOPELESS _

_I'm falling down _

_FILTHY _

_I can't wake up _

_I can not hold on _

_I will not let go _

_WORTHLESS _

_It's over now _

_GUILTY _

_There's no way out _

_I can not hold on _

_I will not let go_"

Willow went into the net song, voice filled with sadness, hurt, and pain. Her strumming was slow in the beginning but it gained in speed as she started to sing.

"_I have nothing left to give_

_I have found the perfect end_

_You were made to make it hurt_

_Disappear into the dirt_

_Carry me to heaven's arms_

_Light the way and let me go_

_Take the time to take my breath_

_I will end where I began_

_And I will find the enemy within_

_Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin_"

Danny frowned, and silently came into the room.

Willow didn't notice and kept singing.

"_Dear Agony_

_Just let go of me_

_Suffer slowly_

_Is this the way it's gotta be?_

_Dear Agony_"

She paused for a moment, still strumming her electric guitar.

"_Suddenly_

_The lights go out_

_Let forever_

_Drag me down_

_I will fight for one last breath_

_I will fight until the end_"

Danny listened more.

Willow continued singing, tears starting to glisten in the light of the room.

"_And I will find the enemy within_

_Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin_

_Dear Agony_

_Just let go of me_

_Suffer slowly_

_Is this the way it's gotta be?_

_Don't bury me_

_Faceless enemy_

_I'm so sorry_

_Is this the way it's gotta be?_

_Dear Agony_"

Danny wanted to go up and hug her, but knew it was better to let her finish.

Willow's voice got deeper as she sang, almost on the verge of crying.

"_Leave me alone_

_God let me go_

_I'm blue and cold_

_Black sky will burn_

_Love pull me down_

_Hate lift me up_

_Just turn around_

_There's nothing left_

_Somewhere far beyond this world_

_I feel nothing anymore_"

She pressed on, knowing that the song was almost over.

"_Dear Agony_

_Just let go of me_

_Suffer slowly_

_Is this the way it's gotta be?_

_Don't bury me_

_Faceless enemy_

_I'm so sorry_

_Is this the way it's gotta be?_

_Dear Agony_

_I feel nothing anymore_"

Danny frowned, tears coming to his eyes to. _She's suffering... It's all my fault..._ He thought.

Then, she put the guitar down on it's stand and started crying on the stool. "Why did I..." She started with a hiccup. "Why did I ever join S.H.I.E.L.D..."

Danny walked over to her. "H – Hey Willow..." He said, trying to hide his tears.

Willow jumped up at his voice and fell off the stool. "I'm okay!" She said. Another song started to play. "J.A.R.V.I.S., pause." The song stopped and she got up. "H – hey... How long... How long have you been here?"

"Since the beginning of Hopeless..." He said.

Willow froze. "Those are all just aimed at me and how I feel..." She muttered. "It's all the missions and kidnapping and the... I just feel like I'm a war veteran, not an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent... It's my fault I feel this way, though... I should've never agreed to join S.H.I.E.L.D... I should've gone home... To you, mom, and Liliana..."

"It's not your fault..." Danny said. "If anything it's mine..." He whispered.

Willow shook her head. "No... I came down here after a nightmare. One of the same ones I had in the hospital... It was the one before you came in and saved me from M.O.D.O.K..."

"What – what was it about...?" Danny asked.

"A – a few months before my training started... It was my last day with Vlad... But we both didn't know that... I had given up hope of rescue, but not of escape..."

"_It was a lovely Sunday afternoon, though I hated it. I was nineteen. Vlad was trying to teach me more about my powers, but I was hiding from him... Just like a little kid. I felt like one, but I didn't care... He took me from you, mom, and Liliana..." Willow paused, still remembering that day. "Anyways, I was hiding from him... He said I couldn't hide forever... That's when it happened. It was the first time I met my best friend and current partner, Natasha Romanoff. She said that I didn't have to run anymore..."_

"_Vlad asked Natasha who she was... I can still remember her exact reply. 'Agent Natasha Romanoff of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Under the orders of Director Fury, you are under arrest for kidnapping a minor, abusing a minor, and using your powers for evil. Anything you say will be ignored.'" Willow paused. "Then, Clint shot an arrow that turned into a ghost-proof net and Natasha cuffed him... Then I met Clint..." Another pause._

Danny nodded quietly.

"_Clint told me that I could come out of my hiding spot... I don't even know how he knew I was there, but I was grateful..." She sighed. "I broke down in his arms, but he calmed me down and he offered me training at S.H.I.E.L.D... Or the chance to go home..." She paused. "I said... I said that I thought it was too soon to go home... So I went with him... To train to be an agent..."_

"Oh..."

"Now I... Now I regret choosing that path... But I... I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't..." She paused again. "I don't know where I would be if I didn't..."

Danny sighed. "I don't know either..."

"I usually come down here... After a nightmare..." She said, shaking slightly. "After the first two nightmares, Tony built the music room for me... Since he says that he knows how I feel, to a degree..."

"Oh..." He said quietly – Danny blamed himself for Willow's suffering.

Willow sighed. "The nightmares... They feel so real... It makes me feel like it's all just been a dream and that the nightmare's are the real things... Sometimes they're about my time with Vlad... Other times they're about missions... Failed missions..."

Danny's frown deepened.

"But... This room... It helps me... It makes me remember that I'm not alone... That this hasn't been a dream..." Willow paused. "It makes me forget the bad things for a bit... Even if I'm singing about my pain... Pain that I caused myself..."

Danny nodded quietly. "So you singing is like how I fly..." He mumbled quietly.

Willow nodded somewhat. "No one's ever come down here at night..." She paused. "Though, it think it's because, most of the time, they're sleeping... Except for Tony..."

Danny nodded. "Ah." He said. "I came down here to think, too..."

He looked down, shuddering as another scream echoed throughout his head. _Monster. You did this._

_YOU killed them all._ He heard the taunting voice. _You think I'm a monster, but the real monster is in the mirror._

Willow got back up on the stool. "J.A.R.V.I.S., play." She said, grabbing her electric guitar again.

"_As you wish, Agent Fenton._" Then, 'The Reason' by Hoobastank came on, the instrumental version. Though, it was missing the guitar, because Willow provided it.

After a few minutes, Willow started to sing.

"_I'm not a perfect person_

_There's many things I wish I didn't do_

_But I continue learning_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_and the reason is you_"

Danny listened, trying to ignore the voices.

Willow continued singing, eyes closed as she strummed her red guitar.

"_I'm sorry that I hurt you_

_It's something I must live with everyday_

_And all the pain I put you through_

_I wish that I could take it all away_

_And be the one who catches all your tears_

_That's why I need you to hear_

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_and the reason is You_"

_She's suffering all because of YOUR mistakes._ Rang throughout Danny's head – but he tried to ignore the voice.

"_And the reason is You _

_and the reason is You_

_and the reason is You_

_I'm not a perfect person_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know_"

Willow sang softly, even though the song was – somewhat – a rock song.

Danny continued listening.

"_I'm not a perfect person_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_and the reason is you_"

Willow opened her eyes slightly.

Danny stayed still, listening.

"_I've found a reason to show_

_A side of me you didn't know_

_A reason for all that I do_

_And the reason is you_" Willow finished with a strum of her guitar.

Danny smiled a tiny bit. "Nice." _You aren't supposed to be happy, Monster._ A voice said to him.

Willow smiled. "You should try." She said.

Danny paused. "Singing? Which song?" He asked.

"Any song." Willow replied.

Danny paused. "J.A.R.V.I.S., can you put on Had Enough?" He asked.

"_Yes I can, Mr. Fenton._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, turning on the specified song as Willow got off the stool.

Danny sighed, before starting. "_Milk it for all it's worth_

_Make sure you get there first_

_The apple of your eye_

_The rotten core inside_

_We are all prisoners_

_Things couldn't get much worse_

_I've had it up to here_

_You know your end is near_"

Willow leaned against the wall, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"_You had to have it all_

_Well have you had enough?_

_You greedy little bastard_

_You will get what you deserve_

_When all is said and done_

_I will be the one_

_To leave you in your misery_

_And hate what you've become._" He sung on.

Willow closed her eyes, listening to her father sing.

"_Intoxicated eyes_

_No longer live that life_

_You should have learned by now_

_I'll burn this whole world down!_

_I need some peace of mind_

_No fear of what's behind._" He sung, stressing that last line.

"_You think you've won this fight, You've only lost your mi__nd._" He said, eyes glowing brightly.

Willow realized why her dad was singing that song, but she refrained from saying anything.

"_You had to have it all_

_Well have you had enough?_

_You greedy little bastard_

_You will get what you deserve_

_When all is said and done_

_I will be the one_

_To leave you in your misery_

_And hate what you've become._" Danny continued.

"_Hold me down_

_I will live again_

_Pull me out!_

_I will break it in,_

_Hold me down_

_Better in the end._

_Hold me down!_"

Willow folded her arms across her chest and continued to listen.

"_You had to have it all_

_Well have you had enough?_

_You greedy little bastard_

_You will get what you deserve_

_When all is said and done_

_I will be the one_

_To leave you in your misery_

_And hate what you've become!_" He continued, closing his eyes.

"_Heaven help you!_

_Heaven help you!_" He finished, calming down a little.

Willow let her arms down and she stood up again.

Danny sighed, as his eyes turned back to blue.

Willow looked down. "У всех нас есть красный на нашем Леджер..." She muttered. (_Translation: We all have red on our ledger..._)

Danny paused. "What does that mean?" He asked.

"It's just something Tasha taught me. Or, well, she says it a lot..." She answered.

"Oh..." Danny said.

"You want to sing some more?" She asked.

Danny thought for a moment, then nodded. "J.A.R.V.I.S., can you play 'I Will Not Bow'?" He asked the A.I..

"_Of course, Mr. Fenton._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, starting the song.

"_Fall!_" He begun.

"_Now the dark begins to rise_

_Save your breath it's far from over,_

_Leave the lost and dead behind-_" A flash of all the dead people he kept seeing in his dreams came to his head, and he put more energy into it – trying to avoid the memories of his dreams.

"_Now's your chance to run for cover!_"

Willow remembered this song. The first song she sang after Tony build the room.

"_I don't want to change the world_

_I just want to leave it colder_

_Light the fuse and burn it up_

_Take the path that leads to nowhere_

_All is lost again, but I'm not giving in_" He sang.

Willow closed her eyes, trying not to be overcome with the memories.

"_I will not bow, I will not break_

_I will shut the world away_

_I will not fall, I will not fade_

_I will take your breath away..._" He sang, trembling a little.

"_Show me where forever dies_

_Take the fall and run to heaven_

_All is lost again, but I'm not giving in..._"

"_I will not bow, I will not break_

_I will shut the world away_

_I will not fall, I will not fade_

_I will take your breath away..._"

"_And I'll survive, paranoid ..._

_I have lost the will to change..._

_And I am not proud, cold blooded, fake..._

_I will shut the world away__..._" He said, injecting most of his energy into that verse...

"_I will not bow, I will not break_

_I will shut the world away_

_I will not fall, I will not fade_

_I will take your breath away..._"

"_And I'll survive, paranoid!_

_I have lost the will to change... _

_And I am not proud, cold blooded, fake!_

_I will shut the world away..._

_Fall!_" He finished.

"Так много красного... Я должен стереть ее из моих Леджер... Пока не стало слишком поздно..." She said to herself quietly. (_Translation: So much red... I have to wipe it off of my ledger... Before it's too late..._)

Danny let his green eye glow fade away.

Willow smiled slightly before red flashed through her mind. She tried to ignore it.

Danny sighed, shaking like a leaf now. _Lies__ – __all lies... You can't escape who you are..._ He could hear – and he began to wonder if Dan had telepathy...

Willow picked up her guitar and strummed it for a second, thinking about what song to sing. "J.A.R.V.I.S., remember that playlist I started to make, but never finished?" Willow asked.

"_Yes, I do remember that._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "_It was a playlist of songs from the bands Three Days Grace and Evanescence._"

"How many songs are on it?" Willow asked.

"_Two. Misery Loves My Company by Three Days Grace and My Immortal by Evanescence._" J.A.R.V.I.S. answered.

"Play it, please." Willow said.

"_As you wish, Agent Fenton._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

Willow started strumming her red guitar and sang.

"_I am in control_

_I haven't lost my mind_

_I am picking up the pieces_

_Of the past you left behind_

_I don't need your condescending_

_Words about me looking lonely_

_I don't need your arms to hold me_

_Cause misery is waiting on me_" She started.

Danny listened quietly, trying not to tremble.

"_I am not alone_

_Not beaten down just yet_

_I am not afraid_

_Of the voices in my head_

_Down the darkest road_

_Something follows me_

_I am not alone_

_Cause misery loves my company_

_Misery loves my company_

_Leave me in the cold_

_You better run away_

_I'm gonna dig a hole_

_And bury all the memories we've made_" Willow continued, voice gaining in intensity.

"_I don't need your condescending_

_Words about me looking lonely_

_I don't need your arms to hold me_

_Cause misery is waiting on me_" Then, Willow did a guitar solo.

Danny listened on – despite the nagging voice that was calling him names.

Willow's voice got deeper as she sang, though she still sounded like a woman. Her fingers flew across the cords, letting the music guide her – even though she had practiced the notes for this song.

"_I am not alone_

_Not beaten down just yet_

_I am not afraid_

_Of the voices in my head_

_Down the darkest road_

_Something follows me_

_I am not alone_

_Cause misery loves my company_

_Misery loves my company_

_I am not alone_

_Not beaten down just yet_

_I am not afraid_

_Of the voices in my head_

_Down the darkest road_

_Something follows me_

_I am not alone_

_Cause misery loves my company_

_Misery loves my company_" She finished with intensity.

Danny smiled slightly, but was still shaking.

Willow set down her guitar for the next song.

"_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

'_Cause your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_" Willow sang.

Danny listened while frowning.

"_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

_You used to captivate me by your resonating light_

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face – it haunts my once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice – it chased away all the sanity in me_" Willow continued.

Danny frowned, but continued to listen.

"_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_" She sang softly.

"_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_" Her fists clenched as she continued, knuckles going white.

Danny's frown deepened, but before he could do anything, he froze in place. _Stop before you make it worse._

"_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_" She finished, with each word her voice growing softer.

Danny frowned slightly, and sighed.

A memory flashed through her mind and her hands went straight for the edge of stool, gripping it like a lifeline.

Danny quickly ran over. "Willow!" He said in surprise.

She started hyperventilating slightly as the memory pressed on. The memory of the mission in Alaska. She arched her back and shook her head.

"Willow, it's just a memory..." Danny said, trying to calm her down. "It's over..."

Willow growled slightly at the memory. "I'm not... I'm not going to let him... I'm not letting M.O.D.O.K. win." She breathed. "I'm not letting the... The P.T.S.D. win, either."

Danny smiled a tiny bit at that. "M.O.D.O.K.'s already defeated... He lost."

"I have to... I have to win... I can't let what I have... Define who I am... As a person... As a hero... And as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." She calmed down slightly.

Danny smiled a little bit.

"I just need to... Calm down..." She said, letting her death grip of the wooden stool go and she stood up, grabbing her red electric guitar and the microphone.

Danny nodded.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., play it. You know the one I mean." She said after taking a few deep breaths and regaining full control of her voice.

"_Are you sure-_" J.A.R.V.I.S. started.

"Play. It." Willow cut him off.

"_As you wish, Agent Fenton._" He said, playing the song as Willow started to strum her guitar with the music.

Danny paused, listening.

Willow started singing with intensity flowing through her words. Her words also held a bit of sadness.

"_On the ground I lay_

_Motionless in pain_

_I can see my life flashing before my eyes_

_Did I fall asleep?_

_Is this all a dream_

_Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare_

_I will not die_"

"_I will not die_" A voice echoed in the song.

"_I will survive_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_I feel alive, when you're beside me_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_In my time of dying_"

Danny listened to her sing.

"_On this bed I lay_

_Losing everything_

_I can see my life passing me by_

_Was it all too much_

_Or just not enough_

_Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare_

_I will not die_"

"_I will not die_" The voice echoed again.

"_I will survive_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_I feel alive, when you're beside me_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_In my time of dying_" She kept going.

Danny continued listening.

"_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_I feel alive, when you're beside me_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_In my time of dying_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_I will not die, when you're beside me_

_I will not die, I'll wait here for you_

_In my time of dying_" Willow finished.

Danny smiled a little bit.

"_I'm sorry to disturb you both, but there have been reports of a monster at Wrigley Field in Chicago._" J.A.R.V.I.S. said.

Danny stiffened up. "It's him..." He muttered, shifting into ghost form. "I'll be back soon." Danny said, jetting off – prepared to face his fear. It's my responsibility... He thought.

000

Dan was over the crowd in Wrigley Field, holding the Cubs Player #81 when Danny made it to the stadium. "Put him down, Dan!" He yelled.

Dan glanced toward Danny, and narrowed his eyes. "How about... No." He said, fire forming in his hands and burning Player #81 to death.

A random player shouted out, "No! PETE!"

A random blonde teen girl with blue eyes sat in the audience, mouth open. An eight year old girl sat next to her. "Jenny, did you see that!?"

The blonde nodded. "Things just got interesting."

"_J.R. Dassaro steps into the box against Chicago and... WOAH!_" The Cubs announcer exclaimed. "_Ernst has been lifted into the air!_" A pause. "_He'll be burned? I don't believe what I just saw and neither does anyone else!_"

Danny's face filled with horror, while Dan simply smirked, tossing the body to the side.

"_Looks like Tim Timmons will call of this game and give the victory to Chicago, up by two, but this is just unbelievable!_" Pause. "_Ernst will get unceremoniously tossed into West's arms, a devastating loss for the Cubs._"

"Feels good to kill again..." Dan said, wiping his hands on his jumpsuit.

Now the announcer was weeping. "_In all my days of working the booth I never thought I'd see this. What is this floaty guy gonna do next?_"

Danny's face grew angry as Dan looked around, ready to kill another.

Dan spotted the eight year old girl, who was sitting next to Jenny. "She'll do for another kill." He muttered.

Danny threw a blast Dan's way. "No!"

Dan dodged, and narrowed his eyes before diving at Danny.

"_Looks like Chicago's Cubs are not going to deal with this well._" The announcer said.

Danny quickly dodged Dan and blasted him again.

Dan was hit by the blast and only growled, blasting at Danny again.

Danny flinched from the blast, and ecto rope was thrown around him.

A woman looked toward the blonde girl and quickly dragged her out of the field – as the blonde was watching with interest.

Danny growled, struggling against the binds. "Let me go!" He ordered, as Dan simply laughed.

"How about... No." Dan said, grabbing Danny by the collar. He smirked, and teleported them to the dungeon of Vlad's castle.

Danny growled, eyes glowing brightly.

Dan smirked, chaining Danny to the wall with ecto restraints. "Well, time to go kill everyone close to you. Or should I say..." He began to shift forms, appearing to be Danny – to his shock. "Close to us." He cackled, then teleported away.

000

Willow smiled when she saw Danny – who was actually Dan, but she didn't know that. "Dad! You're back! Did you beat him?"

Dan internally stiffened up, wanting to just kill her then. But in his mind, it would be better to pick them off one at a time... To void off suspicion. "Yeah." He said in Danny's voice. "I did..." He lied.

Willow's smile grew.

Dan internally rolled his eyes.

Liliana ran outside, and joined the hug. "Hey Dad..." She said, ignoring the nagging feeling that something was off.

Sam ran outside too, along with Jason. "Danny! You're alive!" She said, hugging him as well- being more careful because of Jason.

Dan internally grimaced. _I'll have to kill Sam soon..._ He thought. "It's good for him to finally be gone." Dan stated, perfectly imitating Danny's voice.

Willow nodded with a smile.

Tony, with a smile of his own, put a hand on Dan's shoulder, thinking he was Danny. "Good job."

Dan nodded with a smile – hating that he had to act. _At least he is suffering while I am..._ He thought.

"We should celebrate." Dan said. "My worst enemy is gone, and we don't have to worry about him anymore." He lied, with a smile.

Natasha narrowed her eyes at Dan and walked away. Clint hopped out of the vent and followed after the redheaded Russian woman, but not after giving Dan a glare of his own.

_Those two will be the first... _Dan thought, watching them leave.

If it was possible, Willow's smile grew.

000

Meanwhile in the dungeon, Danny shivered in the corner, as much in the fetal position as the chains would allow.

Everyone could be dead, and he wouldn't even know... He couldn't do anything about it. Not while he was there. He was beaten. He was beaten and now everyone was gonna die. "It's all my fault..." He whispered – changing back into human form. The cold felt worse now, and he could hear drip after drip of water from somewhere else in the room. He could only imagine what pain Dan was putting everyone through right now... "I'm sorry... I couldn't keep my promise..." He whispered, before passing out – shaking like a leaf.

He trembled in his sleep, it being haunted with the thoughts of what could be happening to everyone right then...

000

Dan sat in the common room, thinking about how to get Black Widow and Hawkeye alone, so he could kill them.

"Clint, I don't know, but I just don't trust him-" Natasha said in a hushed tone, cutting herself off as she saw Dan. She glared, as did Clint.

Dan glanced their way, and narrowed his eyes. "What did I do?" He asked, trying to maintain his act.

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "I don't know why, but I don't trust you." She stated, walking away with Clint to go talk to Willow about it.

Dan had a feeling that they knew something. So, he sent out an invisible duplicate who quickly melted the door handle. He smirked, sadistically. "You two are too smart for your own good." He said, eyes glowing a deep shade of red as he spoke in his normal voice.

When Natasha tried to open the door and found that she couldn't, she whirled around to glare at Dan. "Тонкий. Лед." She told him in Russian. (_Translation: Thin. Ice._)

He simply laughed. "Can't let you tell the others who are completely fooled."

"I knew it. You aren't Danny." Natasha said, eyes narrowed as she got into a fighting stance, Clint doing the same.

"Well, I am him. Just not the Danny you know." He said with a sadistic glint in his eye, not caring about their fighting positions.

"Where did you put him, you sick bastard?" Clint spoke up.

"Well, the Danny you know is dead." He said. _Dead inside, at least._ He thought. "Apparently I DON'T need him around in order to stay in existence." He lied.

Natasha knew something was off about what he said, but played along with what he was saying. She pulled out one of her knives out of some area of her person, green eyes narrowed.

Dan smirked. "Ah, ah, ah." He said, throwing ecto goop at both her and Clint. "I was hoping to kill you all off one by one, but, it seems like for the first kill – I'll actually kill the both of you."

"I think you forgot one thing, though." Natasha said.

"Which would be?" Dan asked, rolling his eyes.

"You forgot about J.A.R.V.I.S." She replied with a small smirk. "J.A.R.V.I.S., sound the alarm!" Natasha said.

"_Right away, Agent Romanoff._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

Natasha's smirk grew.

The door broke down after someone said, "FOR MIDGARD!"

Dan growled and faced the door, still in his Danny disguise. "Pathetic humans have to get help from a legend." He muttered.

The rest of the team was there, along with Sam. But two people were missing. Willow and Liliana.

Dan growled. "You aren't Danny!" Sam yelled, having a Fenton Wrist Ray on.

"How many times do I have to say it? We. Are. One. And. The. Same." Dan said, tauntingly. "You of all people should know that, Sammy."

Steve donned his shield while Tony pulled down the faceplate in his suit. Loki conjured the scepter he used when he was evil while Mjolnir flew into Thor's hand.

Dan frowned. "Why do you bother?" He asked. "Everyone's gonna die anyways." He said, summoning green flames to his hands.

"Not with us around." Steve said. "Now, where is he?"

Dan smirked. "Excellent question."

"Last time you trapped him in the Ghost Zone! Where is he!?" Sam questioned.

"Don't play games with us." Tony growled, the suit altering his voice. "Where. Is. He."

"Well..." Dan started, before laughing. "Danny is no longer with us, so to say." He said.

Sam's eyes widened in horror.

Loki pointed his scepter at Dan's head, the blue gem in the tip glowing furiously.

Dan sucked in a deep breath, getting ready to unleash a Ghostly Wail. Sam quickly dropped to the ground, covering her ears for protection.

Loki muttered a quick incantation, protecting the others from the ghostly wail with an invisible shield.

Tony froze, as did Steve, and Thor gripped Mjolnir's handle tightly while Natasha and Clint kept trying to get out.

Dan unleashed his attack, shedding his disguise in the process.

The invisible shields rattled, cracking at the base, but stood strong, as was Loki, who was glowing a dark blue just to keep the shields standing.

Dan pushed more power into the Ghostly Wail.

Loki's dark blue glow started to glow darker as he put more power into the shields.

Dan stopped the Wail after a few more seconds, and he frowned. "Let's see if you can survive fire..." He said, summoning it to his hands.

Loki's eyes narrowed, turning blue as he tapped into whatever power he could from the Tesseract. He glowed black, putting even more power into the shields.

Dan, instead of aiming the fire toward them, decided to hit the room with the deadly flames instead. He smirked. "Goodbye, for now. I have people to kill..." He said, disappearing.

Loki, out of anger, stepped out of his shield and blasted a beam from his scepter out the window. "Heimskur! Heimskur! Heimskur!" He berated himself, eyes narrowed as he conjured water out of thin air to put out the fire. (_Translate: Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_)

Sam's eyes widened at the flames. "They're ghost flames Loki... Not regular fire! Water doesn't put it out!" Sam exclaimed.

"Then how do we put it out?" Thor asked as Loki left – teleporting to the top of the tower so he could call Heimdall.

"Ghost fire or ghost ice. And Danny- " She cut herself off. "Isn't... Here... So... Willow. But who knows what that Ghostly Wail did to the wiring in the tower? We might not be able to contact her..."

"No, but I still can." Tony said.

Sam let out a sigh of relief, and rolled out of the way of some flames.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., you still with me in here, buddy?" Tony asked.

"_For you, sir, always._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

"Hack into Willow's communicator. She never takes that thing off." Tony said.

"_As you wish, sir._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

"Hurry. Before they spread to the rest of the tower."

"Willow," Tony started once the H.U.D. said that it had worked. "We need you down here. Stat." He said.

"_What's wrong, Stark? You get stuck in your suit again?_" She asked in a joking tone.

"This is no time for jokes!" Tony snapped. "We need you to put out the flames."

"_How did you manage to..._" Willow paused. "_You know what? I'm not going to ask. I'll be there soon._"

Sam widened her eyes as the ghost flames grew bigger.

Willow came skidding to a stop in front of the broken-down door. Narrowing her eyes in determination, she thought of the best course of action.

Sam sighed in relief when she saw Willow.

Letting a black glow overtake her, she transformed into Drakon and ran into the room, wings up.

Opening her mouth, her teeth retracted and a blue ball of her own ghostly fire was shot out at some of Dan's ghostly fire.

The flames started to fade away.

Willow continued the process, glue ghostly flames coming out of her mouth repeatedly.

Soon, the flames were out.

Willow roared in triumph, spreading her wings before she glowed black again, turning human. "What's wrong?" Willow asked Sam.

"Everything..." She mumbled quietly.

"Wait... Where's dad?" She asked.

That pushed Sam far enough to let a few tears fall. "W – Wi – Willow... That wasn't Danny..."

"So then... Where is he?" Willow asked.

Sam looked down, unanswering, as she tried to hide the tears that were falling down harder now.

Willow caught on and the color returned to her eyes as they burned with hatred at Dan. But tears were also threatening to fall, and she let them.

"I thought he could only disguise himself as younger Danny – I never thought he could take our Danny's form..." Sam mumbled, internally kicking herself for being too stupid not to realize it.

Willow's body tensed and her fists clenched, thinking about ways to make Dan go away. Permanently.

"Wait..." Tony started. "Why did he bother taking his form and coming here?" He asked.

"He – he did the same thing last time... When we were all fourteen. He was manipulating us all to one spot, then he pretty much strapped us all to a bomb – that's how Danny described it... And it... It exploded... Then Clockwork erased time – the only reason anyone is still around. He probably turned it into a game... 'How many people can I kill without them being onto me'?"

Willow, hearing enough and already being overcome with emotion, ran out of the room right then and there, deciding to take the stairs up to the roof.

Sam only let more tears flow.

Willow opened the door to the roof and took off anything she had on her, besides her clothes. "Don't want to be found... Don't want to be talked to..." She told herself. Then, she glowed black for a minute before turning into Drakon. Then, she proceeded to shake off all of the equipment Tony made, and it landed next to the small pile of things she already made.

Once she was free of anything attached to her, human or dragon, she ran towards the edge of the tower and jumped off, spreading her wings and soaring through the air.

000

Dan teleported back into the dungeon, and he smirked at the sight of Danny in the fetal position, shaking. It was all too familiar for him. Except, Danny was sleeping. Dan frowned and walked over to him, before kicking him. "Get up!" He yelled.

Danny jumped slightly, but made no motion to wake up.

Dan growled and grabbed Danny by his collar, which woke him up. He widened his eyes in fear, unable to do anything in self defense because of the chains. "W – what do you want?" He asked.

Dan smirked. "They're all dead now." He said, throwing Danny to the ground. Danny's eyes widened and he began muttering 'No,' over and over.

"No, no, no! You're lying..." He said.

"Do you want me to show you the bodies?" Dan asked, a sadistic glint in his eye. He was enjoying this.

Danny hung his head down, trying not to cry. He didn't want to cry in front of _him_. "I hate you..." He said quietly.

"You can't hate yourself, Danny." Dan spoke. "You and I both knew this day was coming. Looks like it really was inevitable." He said, before laughing at the defeated hero.

000

Jenny: I MADE A CAMEO! Anyways, looks like Dan is here... And he's trying to turn Danny into him... Even if Plasmius isn't in the situation. :/ BAD DAN!

Dark Jenny: How'd you like the nightmare I gave Danny...? I enjoyed writing it...

Jenny: How'd you get out? Get back into your closet, Evil Me! *shoves her into a closet and locks it*

Agent Fenton-Banner: I never write that much torture, even for a dream... So Willow's dream really surprised me.

Jenny: *nods* Yeah... But we all have darkness in us... 'You can never escape yourself.' You can never truly escape your inner darkness... Hey, Agent, what was your favorite part of this chapter?

Agent Fenton-Banner: … Are you comparing me to Phil?

Jenny: Umm... Mayyyyybe. But what's your favorite part in the chapter?

Agent Fenton-Banner: Two words. Poptarts. Ovens.

Jenny: That was funny... But... What was your favorite Dan part? Mine was the dream with him in it... Mixed with the scenes involving a captured Danny.

Agent Fenton-Banner: Will you be mad if I say when he took Willow?

Jenny: Nope! I enjoyed that scene too! "Scream!"

Agent Fenton-Banner: This chapter was brought to you by the sound, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Danny: EVERYONE I KNOW IS DEAD! HOW CAN YOU TWO ACT SO HAPPY!?

Jenny: Umm... *knocks him out* See you next time! And remember our sponsor: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

Agent Fenton-Banner: [Starts writing the chapter with a, possibly, unstable mind, sore throat, and droopy eyes] Hello all and welcome to Bizarro- Oh, wait... This isn't the roller coaster that scared me _half to death_. If any of you readers have been to Six Flags of New England and ridden Bizarro, then you know what I mean (unless you're a thrill-seeker). So, let's start that again... Hello all and welcome to chapter three of The Weeping Willow. I'm your roller coaster fan of an author, Agent Fenton-Banner (formerly Agent Rossi).

Jenny: And I am completely normal... Other than my insane mind.

Agent Fenton-Banner: So, um... Since we should get the ball rolling... WE OWN NOTHING BESIDES OUR OCS! [Runs with weak legs then falls down the stairs] I'M OKAY!

Jenny: [eyes are wide]

Agent Fenton-Banner: Wanna know what I blame?

Jenny: What? Wait... It's your mom, isn't it?

Agent Fenton-Banner: I would've said who if I was gonna use her so, no. Actually, I blame Bizarro.

Jenny: Ah.

Saumo: Wait... Why was I gone last chapter?

Jenny: You were busy... And you'll see why this chapter!

Agent Fenton Banner: LETS START THE STORY!

Note: Never said this before but this is, basically, a future-fic, as it's the year 2035 in the story (but still no flying cars [crying]). Meaning that the Marvel time-line is bumped up so everyone is still the same age.

000

Deep in the ghost zone, Clockwork floated in his tower- a frown on his face as he fiddled with his staff. Two Observants were in the room with him.

On one time screen, it showed Dan wrecking parts of the ghost zone and destroying several ghosts.

On another, it showed a dungeon. There was a man in the corner of the room, curled into a ball. His black hair was dirty with filth, and was a bit overgrown. His clothing was torn and dirty, and chains wrapped around each of the boys limbs. If the image would've been showing his face, it would've shown dull blue eyes and a face, lacking hope and having so much misery on it.

"Clockwork. You know what you must do." One of the two said.

Clockwork sighed and shifted to an adult.

"This is not a simple matter! You have to kill Daniel Fenton!" The other spoke in a snappy tone.

"I am his guardian- assigned by _you two_. I cannot kill him." Clockwork said.

The Observants both narrowed their single eyes. "To save the time stream, he must die!" The first shouted.

"Clockwork, can you not see he will not even survive this encounter with a stable mind?" The other said. "You cannot do nothing."

Clockwork nodded, shifting to a child. "I know that. But killing him isn't the only option. I know what to do- I do know _everything_ after all. Now, would you two observe the door? I have work to do." He stated.

The two looked at Clockwork, then each other, before they disappeared.

Clockwork sighed, looking at both time screens as he turned to an old man.

He glanced toward a door that a purple squirrel walked through. He had a collar around his neck- with a miniaturized Ghost-Gabber on it. _This place is amazing! I wish Ivy were here..._ He looked up at the screen with the man on it. _And poor Phantom! Diablo has him..._

Clockwork nodded. "I know. But do you remember what you were instructed?"

_Yes... I do. _

Clockwork turned into a child again. "Well, it is now time to interfere..." He said.

_Are you sure I can't tell them everything that will-_

"I'm sure." Clockwork said. "Now, it's time."

The squirrel nodded and jumped through a time portal, showing the Avengers Tower.

Next to it was a portal, showing a certain dragon on it...

000

Willow flew for who-knows-how-long, and landed in a grassy field. The field was empty, except for her. Retracting her teeth, she shot off blue fireball after blue fireball, setting the field ablaze with ghostly fire.

Liliana had flown after her, eyes widening at the sight of the fire. She had tears streaming down her face in a waterfall. Back at the tower, she had been told the news. Actually, that was a few months ago... One part of her mind told her to just fly into the flames. She floated there, seemingly paralyzed.

Willow let out a loud roar of agony. It was mixed with the voice of Drakon, who was also sad at Danny's 'death'.

Liliana was shaken out of it by the roar. She tried to find a safe way into the flames so she could speak with her sister, face to face. "Willow!" She yelled out.

With a huff, Willow shot out more flames, putting out the blaze she had started. Her green eyes were blazing furiously, and she stood on her hind legs.

Liliana landed nearby, the tears still streaming. "H- hey Willow..." She said.

Willow lowered herself when she noticed who it was. She let her eyes dull themselves to a dim glow. "Heus..." She replied. "Quid hic agis?" She asked. (_Translation: Hey... What are you doing here?_)

"Trying to find you..." Liliana answered, her own eyes dull despite their usual happy shine.

"Ego retro opus ad turrim?" She asked. (_Translation: Am I needed back at the tower?_)

"Bruce wanted to talk to you..." She answered.

"Ut reliquimus omnia, et hoc ideo, quia tulit, nonne?" She asked. (_Translation: This is because I just left everything and took off, is it not?_)

Liliana simply nodded.

000

Willow walked into Bruce's room, since he wasn't ready to bring Willow, Noah, and Robin into his room just yet.

"Is something up, Bruce?" Willow asked after she had grabbed her stuff.

"Fury called." He said. "And what he could tell me... I don't think anyone would like it." He said.

"Before I call him... What did he tell you?" She asked.

"You're being reassigned for the time being." He replied.

"I'll go call him now." Willow said, walking out of the room, communicator still in her ear.

"_Hello and welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. communicative services. Please state your __pass-code._" A female voice said.

Willow rattled off her digits, and static was heard in the communicator before it stopped, and the it was quiet.

"Director Fury, this is Agent Fenton, do you copy?" She asked.

Sam was walking past the room, but she heard Willow's voice and paused at the door, quietly walking inside.

"_Where have you been, Agent? I was about to send Agent's Barton and Romanoff to go find you._" Fury said.

"That isn't the point, sir." Willow pointed out. "Did I hear right from Dr. Banner? I'm being reassigned?" She asked.

"_That is correct._" He replied.

Sam frowned.

"Sir, why do I need to be reassigned?" Willow asked.

"_We haven't spotted him in months, Agent Fenton._" Fury replied. "_We need you elsewhere until he shows up again._"

Willow sighed. "Where am I being reassigned to, sir?" She asked.

"_A company a few blocks away from the tower._" Fury answered. "_We have reason to believe that they are connected to A.I.M._" He said.

Sam narrowed her eyes, hearing most of the conversation.

"A.I.M?" Willow asked, shocked. "But I thought that Tarleton destroyed the main base when he set off the bomb." She said, visibly flinching at her own words.

"_Apparently not._" Fury replied. "_We need you to go undercover at that company._"

Sam frowned, eyes narrowing. She was half-tempted to snatch the communicator from Willow and yell at Fury.

"Sir... Tarleton said that he was destroying A.I.M. when he blew up the base..." Willow visibly flinched again.

"_Do you think he's after Ridges?_" Fury asked.

Sam listened in, still fuming.

"Possibly, but..." Willow paused. "Tarleton is dead. He's been dead since the base exploded." Willow flinched once more. "But... He could've hired Doom to do it..."

Sam's frown deepened more.

"Sir, do you have any trace of Dr. Doom?" Willow asked.

"_No, we don't. Do you think he could be in that building?_" He asked.

"Yes, I do." Willow answered.

"_All the more reason to send one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best._" Fury pointed out.

Sam frowned, and actually did snatch the communicator out of Willow's ear.

Willow, having known that someone was in the room, smiled to herself when she noticed that it was her mother.

"Why are you reassigning my daughter!?" Sam questioned.

Fury stood strong on his choice to reassign Willow. "_Mrs. Fenton, he hasn't been spotted in months. S.H.I.E.L.D. has other threats to take care of, one of them being Dr. Doom, A.I.M., and Samuel Ridges._" He replied

Sam's eyes blazed with fury. "You do realize the second we let our guard down, he'll strike?" She said.

"_Mrs. Fenton, I have been in this job for a long time, longer than you may think._" Fury said. "_I know very well of what could happen, but S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't _just _focusing on him. Your daughter is one of S.H.I.E.__L__.D.'s best. We need her for this mission._" He continued. "_If you need to talk to your daughter about anything while she's on this mission, you can just go to Agent Barton or Agent Romanoff. I'm sure one of them would let you borrow their communicator to get in touch with her._"

Sam frowned- wanting to bring up the fact that she's dealt with _ghosts_ much longer than they probably had and hardly refraining from doing so.

"_S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors all potential threats. If anything happens, we'll be one of the first to know about it._" Fury continued. "_And then you'll know._"

Sam narrowed her eyes- not that it could be seen over the communicator. "Fine. I'll still be checking the damned death rates every day, though." She said.

"_And that's fine with me._" Fury replied. Then, he paused. "_Now, may I please speak to your daughter?_"

"Fine..." She grumbled, handing the communicator to Willow.

Willow pressed a button on her communicator once it was in her hand. "Sorry about Fury... He's blunt and detached." She said before pressing the button again and putting the communicator in her ear. "What's the dress code?" She asked Fury.

"_Suits._"

"Business or other?" She asked.

"_Business._"

Willow sighed. "Okay, I have that..."

"_Alright, Fury out._" Fury said.

"_Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. communicative-_" Willow shut the communicator off before the woman finished her sentence.

Sam grumbled something under her breath on how Dan was probably gonna murder everyone now.

Willow sighed and shook her head. "I don't want to do this, either." She said. "But I can't say no to my boss. Not when he could make me 'disappear' with a snap of a finger." She said, starting to walk towards her room to go get changed.

Then, a blue portal appeared.

Sam widened her eyes when a very familiar purple squirrel came through.

Liliana walked into the room then. "Saumo?"

_That's me!_

Sam widened her eyes when she could actually hear the squirrel.

Willow froze and turned around, eyes wide as she heard Saumo.

"Where have you been?" Liliana asked, shocked.

_I've been in the Ghost Zone!_ Saumo said, remembering what Clockwork told him to say. _Diablo's been terrorizing everyone! But, he's also been a bit weird! _He said.

Sam knew what Diablo meant- it meant Devil. "Dan?" She asked.

Saumo nodded.

"So that's why we haven't heard anything from him..." Willow said under her breath.

Liliana froze. "Wait... What do you mean by 'he's been a bit weird'?" She asked.

_Well... He's been collecting up human food..._ Saumo answered.

Both Liliana's and Sam's eyes widened.

Willow froze, unmoving.

_I don't know why. _Saumo lied. _Why would such an evil ghost- that doesn't have to eat- stock up on human food, when he doesn't take prisoners?_ Saumo said, playing the oblivious card.

Willow narrowed her eyes in thought.

Liliana froze up, thinking.

"He- he's..." Sam said, stuttering. "He's alive..." She muttered in disbelief.

"When I get back, I'm checking out some stuff." Willow said, determination in her voice as she walked out of the room and into her bedroom.

Liliana's eyes widened, a little bit of hope coming onto her face. "Dad isn't dead!" She shouted, happily. "Dad isn't dead!"

Tony walked into the room, followed by the others and Loki. "What's with all the shouting?" He asked.

_PHANTOM ISN'T DEAD!_ Saumo shouted. _Diablo has him!_

Tony jumped at Saumo's voice. "Holy crap!"

_Oh, and I talk now._

"Yeah, I noticed." Tony said with an eye roll as he gripped his arc reactor.

"Do you know where he is, oh talking squirrel?" Clint asked, Natasha smacking him upside the head for the last part.

Saumo shook his head. _Diablo makes his own portals. Can't track 'em! But I'm betting he's either in Wisconsin or Amity!_

Willow came back down. She was wearing a gray business suit with a white shirt under it. She wore a brown wig, black high heels, and her sunglasses. Her communicator was in her ear, hidden by her hair. Taking her sunglasses off, she said, "I'll see what I can find when I have the time."

Sam was honestly very surprised- and happy, for once. Then she paled. "That means he's been stuck with Dan for months... And we haven't looked for him..." She mumbled, imagining how broken Danny probably was.

"Poor dad..." Liliana mumbled.

000

Danny shivered in a corner as his ghost sense went off- meaning Dan was back. He didn't look up, or move. Dan threw an apple at him. Danny flinched. "Eat or I make you." Dan said, eyes narrowed.

Danny slowly sat up, blinking his dull eyes. He didn't see why he had to live anymore- everyone was dead. He would try to starve himself, but every time he tried, Dan would intangibly shove the food into him. That hurt a lot more than simply eating, in Danny's mind. He quietly picked up the apple and turned it intangible to wash off the dirt. Then he bit into it.

Dan kept his eyes narrowed, but he teleported away after he saw that Danny was eating.

Danny continued biting onto the apple, tears in his eyes. _I'm sorry..._ He thought quietly, as he continued eating.

000

Willow sighed as she walked into the Avengers Common Level a few hours later. "I never knew undercover work could get so boring at times." She sighed, flopping onto a chair tiredly.

Liliana sat in a chair in the room, trying to figure out where Dan would stick Danny. "Under the Nasty Burger?" She asked Sam, who was sitting nearby.

Sam shook her head. "No. He wouldn't trust it, with all the ghosts in Amity Park. It could spread the fact that Danny was still alive- something he didn't want us to know... Besides. He would've blown up the Nasty Burger." Sam said.

"Wisconsin?" Willow asked. "I mean, he did bring me to Vlad's castle, what if he brought dad there?"

Sam thought for a moment. "Maybe..." She said, adding Wisconsin to a mental list. "He is cocky enough to do that..." She mumbled.

Willow pulled out her phone and started rapidly typing on it.

Liliana frowned. "Don't you have a tracker for him?" She asked.

"Yeah, but it lost his ecto signature when he broke it. Hence why we didn't use it before..." Sam said.

Willow narrowed her eyes at her phone's screen quietly.

Saumo was sitting up in the rafters, smiling to himself. _I did it. _He told himself quietly, and proudly.

Willow then glared at the phone. She stood up abruptly. "Useless piece of crap!" She said, throwing the phone, which was still on, against the wall. It didn't break, since it was one of Tony's newest StarkPhones.

"What'd the poor defenseless phone do to you?" Liliana asked.

"I was trying to see if there was anything that could help, but there wasn't." Willow replied, not looking at the StarkPhone.

Sam frowned. "So the only two possible options are at one of Vlad's castles- probably the Wisconsin one, or he's in the Ghost Zone." Sam said.

Liliana stood up and went to where the phone was. She picked it up. "This information isn't useless..." She said.

Willow perked up. "It isn't? Because I can't make heads or tails of it."

Liliana shook her head. "It's not useless- it's actually helpful." She said.

"How?" Willow asked. "I don't know what language that's in, I can't read it."

"It's all in Esperanto." She said, before starting to read it out loud. "Okazis raportoj pri strangaj kvantoj de ectoplasmic energio venas de Vlad Majstro malnova Viskonsino kastelo. Neniu ankoraŭ eltrovis kial, sed iuj homoj diras ke ili vidis 'Diablo' pendis ĉirkaŭ la loko." She read.

_What does it mean?_ Saumo asked, jumping down from the rafters.

"It means... 'There has been reports of strange amounts of ectoplasmic energy coming from Vlad Master's old Wisconsin castle. Nobody has yet figured out why, but some people say that they've seen 'the Devil' hanging around the place.'" She translated.

Sam's eyes widened.

Willow's eyes narrowed and she pulled out her communicator, turning it on and putting it in her ear as she took off her wig.

She sighed when she heard the ever-cheery recorded voice of the operator. "_Hello and welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. communicative services. Please state your __pass-code._"

Willow rattled off her pass-code with another sigh as she heard static, then silence.

Liliana looked at the phone, thinking. _Don't worry Dad... We're coming..._

"Director Fury?" Willow asked, getting no answer. "Director Fury, do you copy?" She asked.

"_Do you have a report, Arrow?_" He asked, finally answering.

"I'll fax it to Agent Coulson to give to you, but that isn't the point." Willow said. She was about to continue, when Fury interrupted her.

"_Then what _is _the point?_" He asked.

"We found him." She reported. "Permission for Dr. Banner, Captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff, and myself to go?" She asked.

"_Request granted._" Fury replied.

Liliana smiled.

Sam thought for a second. "You need Thermoses." She declared.

Willow nodded.

"_S.H.I.E.L.D. supports this all the way. Call if you need back-up and I'll send a team._" Fury said. "_Keep the casualties low, Director Fury out._"

"Well, we've got S.H.I.E.L.D. backing us on this, too. If we need back-up, all we have to do is call and Fury'll send a team." Willow reported. "J.A.R.V.I.S., call Bruce, Steve, and Natasha. Tell them to meet us down here." She said.

"_As you wish, Agent Fenton._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

The three came down at varying times, but once they were all together, Steve asked, "Is something wrong?"

Willow, narrowing her eyes in determination, said, "We're going to Wisconsin."

Bruce blinked his eyes. "Wisconsin? Why there?" He asked.

Natasha spoke up. "You found him, didn't you?"

Sam nodded.

"So, what's the plan?" Natasha asked.

"We go in there, kick his ass, and get dad back." Willow said.

Natasha, Bruce, and Steve gave Willow a look. "This isn't the time for-" Steve started.

"I'm being fucking serious here." Willow replied, eyes glowing brightly.

Liliana smiled.

_Get Thermoses!_ Saumo yelled.

Sam nodded. "I'm coming too." She declared.

Willow nodded at that. Usually she would've said something, but she just wanted to go kick Dan's ass.

"We have to stop at FentonWorks first." Sam said. "Get some Specter Deflectors, and Fenton Thermoses."

Willow nodded.

000

Danny still sat in the corner of the room, almost finished with the apple. Dan still wasn't back, to his relief.

He suddenly froze up, when he heard noises upstairs. But his ghost sense hadn't gone off... He reached for his bruised throat with his hand that wasn't holding the apple, and he narrowed his eyes.

Willow came down with Bruce and Natasha.

Liliana came down with Steve and Sam.

Danny looked down, thinking they were only a figment of his imagination. He bit into the apple again, and didn't look back up.

Sam's and Liliana's eyes widened with shock at Danny's change, and his broken appearance.

Willow froze. "D- dad?" She asked quietly.

He frowned, and looked up a little bit. _Just hallucinations... Just hallucinations... Now Dan's __gonna come in and kill them. _His frown deepened. _Wait, am I sleeping right now?_ He asked himself.

Bruce tried to stay as calm as possible while Natasha looked very calm.

"Danny... We're here to rescue you." Sam said.

Danny let a few tears fall from his face, mumbling something about a dream.

Steve took his shield in his hand.

Sam walked closer to Danny and he froze up-dropping his apple- trying to remind himself that 'it was just a dream'. "Danny..." She said quietly.

"Dad..." Liliana said in a hushed whisper, feeling how broken Danny was.

Danny remained tense. "This is all a dream..." He mumbled. "As soon as I connect he's gonna kill you..." He mumbled.

"He needs to see a doctor..." Steve mumbled under his breath with a frown.

Sam frowned. "Danny, it's really us..." She said.

Said person looked down again.

Willow frowned.

Danny frowned. "It can't be... He killed you already..." He said, not believing them.

Willow's eyes widened. "That bastard." She muttered.

Liliana's frown deepened.

Sam frowned more. "He thought he did." She said.

He looked up at her, trying to figure out what Sam meant.

"He lit a fire in Stark Tower. He must've thought we died... But, we didn't." She said.

"Dad, it really is us..." Willow repeated. "One time, after I had a nightmare a few months ago, I was sitting in my room when you came in... We talked about something I've never told anyone outside of you, Director Fury, Agent Hill, and the med team who treated me..." She said.

Danny's frown deepened, and he clutched onto his head.

Willow frowned and took a step forward.

Danny stared at them for a second, letting go of his head. "Y- you... Y- you aren't part of a dream... Ar- are you?" He asked, voice stuttering from lack of use.

"No." Natasha answered.

He frowned slightly, but before he could say anything, another voice was heard. "Look what we have here. A happy little reunion? Sorry, but I can't help but wreck it."

Willow narrowed her eyes, limbs frozen at his voice. She growled at him, trying to hide her true self, which was freaking out. She put a hand on her gun, ready to pull out her S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued firearm at a moment's notice. She clicked it's safety off, hand gripping the handle of the black and silver gun.

Liliana turned around, paling. She charged an ecto ray up to her hand, aiming it toward Dan.

Sam fiddled with the Specter Deflector, trying to clip it on all the way.

Danny froze up, backing away a little bit- fear in his eyes.

It was like Willow just said 'to hell with it' and she and Natasha both pulled out their guns while Steve showed his shield and Bruce's skin tinged green.

"Ah, ah, ah." Dan said, his hand glowing pink. He waved it around, and everyone, besides Danny, was frozen in place. "Nobody is going anywhere." He glanced at them. "Don't know how you survived my flames, but, trust me. You will not survive this encounter."

Willow growled, as did Bruce, but Bruce's was louder, as Hulk was trying to break through, but failing. Natasha looked like the picture of calm, while Steve was trying to think of something to do to get them out.

Sam looked around, fear in her eyes. Here they were- nobody able to move but _him_. Liliana had a frown on her face.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "No... No killing them..." He muttered, trying to make them glow.

Dan rolled his eyes at Danny. "Shut up. You have no say in the matter." He said, looking at all of them again.

Willow's heart raced as her wall started to break.

"Who to kill first?" Dan asked, looking at the group. "Ah yes- I know." He looked at Willow, fangs glowing brightly. "The one I had almost killed last time." He said.

Danny muttered, "No..." over and over again.

Willow would've been hyperventilating, if she wasn't trying to act strong. Her eyes held pure terror in them.

Sam also was fearful for Willow, and if she could talk at that moment, she would've been screaming at Dan.

Dan smirked sinisterly, and flew over to something that was covered up. "I remember an old project Vlad had been working on... It probably failed, given how Danny is here. But, out of it came a great device for torture." He said, uncovering it.

Danny's eyes widened in fear of what the device was: Vlad's electrocution machine, that was designed to force him to transform. "No!" He shouted, struggling against his chains.

Willow's eyes widened, and if more terror could fill her expression, it did.

Dan opened the device and smirked. He threw Willow inside, telekinetically, before he shut it. The chains snapped around her wrists automatically.

Willow froze, feeling very trapped and very scared.

Dan looked at the knob. "What should we start on? Five? Five sounds like a good starting point." Dan said, twisting it.

Willow let out a long scream of pain and terror, the black rings forming around her waist as she struggled to get free of the device.

Danny struggled as wildly as he could to break the chains, but it wasn't nearly strong enough. "Stop it! Leave her alone!" He shouted.

Sam would be doing the same thing, but, she couldn't move.

Dan only turned the power level to six, clearly enjoying the feeling of torturing another.

Willow's screams gradually got louder, and the rings slowly started to try and climb up, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

Danny continued fighting against the chains, screaming at Dan.

Dan simply turned it up another notch, smirking more. "Ah, screaming. Music to my ears..."

Willow screaming got even louder and her eyes were shut tightly. Her head was down in pain as she continued struggling. She would've yelled 'let me out' by now, but she was too busy screaming in pain to do so.

Dan continued smirking as Willow screamed, and as Danny screamed at him. "I wonder if turning it to ten will kill you..." He said. "Let's find out." He then flipped it to said number.

Willow's screams continued to get louder and she tried to curl into herself, having given up trying to escape. The rings continued to climb.

Danny growled at Dan. "Stop it! Stop it! Turn it off!" He screamed at him, Dan now sitting back, floating.

"I don't think so." He said.

Willow continued her screams for a few more moments before she passed out.

Dan still kept the machine on, smirking. "A few more minutes ought to kill her..."

Willow's unconscious body twitched and convulsed, but her screams had ceased.

"Stop it!" Danny screamed. "Let her go!"

The rings finally went over her head, turning her into her ghostly persona, Nightmarcher.

Dan continued just floating there. "What do you know... It does work."

Unconsciously, Willow hung her head and her body fell forward as much as it could, still twitching and convulsing as the electricity ran through her unconscious body.

Danny growled, struggling like crazy. "Why are you doing this!?"

"Well... It's fun." Dan stated, the machine still on. "She's probably dead by now..." He muttered.

Willow woke up, and she started screaming again.

Danny stiffened up, glaring daggers at Dan.

"Looks like she isn't dead yet..." Dan muttered.

Then, she slackened, breathing stopped.

"Now she is." Dan said, and Danny's eyes widened in terror.

"No!" He screamed. "No!"

Both Liliana's and Sam's eyes widened, though they couldn't say anything.

"I told you they would all die..." Dan said, flying toward the machine. He flipped it off and intangibly pulled Willow out of it. When he tried to check to make sure she was dead- Danny started screaming more at him.

Dan growled and stopped what he was doing, throwing Willow's body to the side. He turned to Danny and blasted at him. "Shut up!" He yelled at Danny.

Willow's body hit the wall with a sickening crack and slid down, landing next to Danny and turning human.

Dan looked back at the body. "Well, she's dead." He said. "Who's next?"

Bruce's eyes widened at the sound that reverberated around the room. Hulk was trying to get out, but because he was frozen in place, he was stuck.

Danny looked at the body, horrified. "Willow..." He whispered, paling like crazy. "Willow!" He shouted. He would've ran over to her body, but the chains stopped him just short of reaching her. "Willow!" He screamed.

Natasha had a slight frown. _Willow... You're making your family suffer by doing this... Just get up already... _She thought.

Dan looked at the group. "Hmm... Who do I attack next?" He glanced at Sam. "No, I was going to kill you last..." He muttered, before looking to Steve. "You haven't annoyed me yet..." He looked at Bruce. "Kill the dude that turns into a giant green rage machine, who kills almost as much as me?" He paused. "Not yet." He looked at Liliana. "You'll be killed in a few minutes..." Then he glanced at Natasha. "Hmm... You've been annoying..." He charged an ecto blast to his hand.

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. She would've said something, but she was frozen, so she couldn't. _Come on, Willow... Get up... _She thought.

Dan walked toward Natasha, blood-lust in his eyes.

_I'm trying here, but it's hard to restart all of your bodily systems after you play dead. Or have you not tried this? _Willow replied to Natasha.

_Well he's going to kill me, and I need help so I don't die. _Natasha thought.

Dan unfroze Natasha. "Run." He said, thinking that frozen, she wouldn't be as fun a kill, had she been unfrozen.

Natasha narrowed her eyes then ran, flipping at points. Soon, she was next to Danny and Willow. _Come on, Willow! I'm running out of time here! _Natasha thought.

_I'm almost done! _Willow replied.

_Well do it faster!_

_Listen, do you want me to be at full capacity or not, Natasha? _She asked.

Natasha didn't answer.

Dan narrowed his eyes and flew forward, deciding to use a more physical method to kill her. _A punch might do it... _He thought. He lunged at Natasha.

Danny was too shocked to realize he was being used as a ghost/human-hybrid shield.

Natasha froze. _Come on!_

_A few more seconds..._

_I don't _have _a few more seconds!_

_Done! _Willow said.

Dan growled and lunged toward Natasha again, eyes glowing brightly. He moved at a superhuman speed, and grabbed her by her uniform before Natasha could move out of the way. He lifted her off of the ground, and grinned sadistically.

There was a black flash of light from where Willow's body lay, and a black ring formed around her waist. It split and black armor was seen. The rings kept going up until they had finished their job. "No one hurts my friends and my family while I'm around." She growled, getting to her feet and taking out her bow.

Dan widened his eyes. "How the hell are you still alive!?" He asked.

Danny's eyes were also full of shock.

"Ever heard of playing dead?" Willow asked, charging up an ecto-constructed arrow.

Dan growled and threw Natasha to the side, fiery balls of death appearing in his hands.

Willow narrowed her eyes and pulled back the string on the bow.

Dan threw a blast at her, snarling.

Danny's mouth was open in shock. Never in a dream had anyone secretly been alive... He froze up. This was real. He narrowed his eyes and closed his mouth, eyes blazing green.

Willow spun, dodging the blast. Then she shot off the arrow, still having it aimed at him.

Dan turned to his gaseous form, the arrow going through him. He then threw off a series of blasts.

Willow dodged most of them, sheathing her bow as she did so, but one hit her in the chest plate and she went flying into the wall.

He smirked, and then started to fly toward her, hands blazing.

Danny growled, eyes glowing brighter.

Willow pulled up a shield, eyes flashing a bright blood red for a moment as her rage started to build. Her normally black ectoplasm got a bit brighter.

Dan noticed this. "Oh, someone's getting angry." He said, tauntingly.

"Angry isn't the right word for it." Willow replied with narrowed eyes.

"Then what is?" Dan asked, slamming his blazing hand against the shield.

The shield started to crack. "Let me think..." She paused. "_**Fucking pissed.**_" She answered, letting the shield go and jumping up into the air, eyes flashing red as she said those two words.

Dan smirked, throwing a few blasts at her.

Willow growled and threw up a small shield, which only blocked one, the rest hitting her and sending her into a wall again. She sent off bright black blasts of her own before throwing her gun to Natasha.

Dan turned intangible, and growled. One of his hands sparked with electricity. "I'd give up, girl." He growled out.

Willow got out of the crater as Natasha caught her gun. She took out her bow again.

Dan growled.

Danny's eyes narrowed. _I have to do something..._ He thought, trying to gather his strength.

Willow narrowed her eyes in determination as she made her ecto-constructed projectile grow bigger in size than the first.

Dan threw more blasts at her.

Willow dodged most before there was one left that she knew she couldn't dodge because she was cornered. Power levels starting to drop because of how much energy she was putting into her attack, she finally pulled back the string and let it fly. She was hit by the blast right as she let her blast go, and she went right into the wall.

Dan was hit by the blast, and he growled- not realizing he had dropped the paralyzation of Steve, Sam, Liliana, and Bruce. He lunged at Willow.

Willow noticed the Bruce had finally started to transform. She narrowed her eyes, and Hulk roared. She tried to dodge, but the energy she put took more out of her than she thought, and she wasn't able to.

Dan soon cornered her. "Scream." He said, raising his electrified hand up.

Willow didn't move, though her eyes narrowed further.

"She doesn't have to." Danny's voice rang out- echoing

Sam and Liliana looked toward him, to see that Danny was in ghost form.

Dan stiffened up, but thought Danny would be able to do nothing as he was chained. He glared at Willow. "Scream." He ordered again, ignoring what his other self had said.

"No." Willow said simply with her eyes narrowed. "I am done living in fear. I am defending myself. It may be stupid and life threatening, but I. Don't. Care." She said before letting off a short ghostly wail like she had the last time she was here, still in black. It shook the room slightly.

Liliana and Sam both covered their ears during the brief ghostly wail.

Dan was thrown back, into the other wall. His eyes widened in shock.

Danny's eyes widened, and he crumpled as close to the wall as he could while the Wail happened, to protect himself.

The apple Danny had been eating earlier flew into the wall, disintegrating.

Willow fell onto her hands and knees, turning human. She was panting slightly.

Dan growled, getting up again.

"Well, he told her to scream..." Sam muttered quietly.

Willow saw her gun slide over to her and she smiled before taking it and getting up, shaking violently from her exhaustion.

Liliana smiled slightly, energy rays in her hands growing brighter. She froze up- realizing that nobody had went over to help Danny. She ran toward her father, to try and help him with the chains.

Dan did not notice, but he did create four duplicates of himself- and so, there were now five Dan's. "You should have just died." They all said, looking around the room.

Willow, hands still shaking, clicked off the safety.

"If you beg, I might make your death lack as much pain as I plan." One spoke with a sadistic smile, going after Willow.

Another one lunged toward Sam.

Another went to Natasha, then one went to Steve. The last went toward Bruce/Hulk. They couldn't tell which was the real Dan.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents don't do begging." Willow stated, pulling the trigger three times.

Dan turned gaseous to avoid the shots. "Smart people do." He responded, solidifying again.

"Some could argue that I'm the opposite." She said, doing a flip to get out of her corner.

Dan smirked, turning.

One of the Dan duplicates had grabbed Sam, and was dragging her toward the electrocution chamber- but, was ironically being electrocuted at the same time, thanks to the Specter Deflector she was wearing.

Willow froze as she saw what was happening to her mother, and her voice just stopped working for her.

Danny looked up, eyes flashing red with fury.

The duplicate shoved her in, with a wince. He slammed it shut, and Sam started banging on the glass. The cuffs snapped on to her, stopping her from banging on it. Fear filled her eyes. "A little help here?" She said, as the machine was turned onto two. "DANNY!" She screamed, screaming as the electricity started to shock her. Being a full human- without the high endurance and pain tolerance of a halfa, the electricity was much more painful for her than it was for the half-ghosts...

Willow, finally gaining use of her limbs again, tried to help Sam by trying to run over to the control panel.

A Dan duplicate ran after her, and tackled her to the ground. "I don't think so." He said.

Danny was getting very pissed off at Dan, tugging more at the chains while Liliana tried to help them. They sparked, but were still as tight as ever.

Willow struggled to get free.

The Dan duplicate holding her down simply smirked, yawning. "Now that I have you trapped, how should I kill you?" He asked, thinking for a moment.

Willow's struggling grew frantic as she wanted to try and save her mother, and she didn't want to die.

He smirked. "Maybe I should kill you with a blast to the heart." He said, before pausing. "No, not enough pain..." He mumbled.

Willow's frantic struggling still continued, though it was useless since he was stronger than her.

"I know!" He declared. "How about I tear out your core then crush it with my bare hands? That's a fun- and painful- way to kill a ghost..." He said, fangs glistening.

Willow's eyes widened in fear as her struggling grew even more frantic.

He smirked. "Tearing your core out, it is." He said, plunging his arm into her chest intangibly.

Willow screamed in pain and terror, but mostly pain.

Dan smirked and continued searching for her core.

Sam screamed more, and Danny grew more pissed. Liliana was even pretty pissed, and would be over there, if the Dan duplicate that was fighting Steve hadn't also decided to start attacking her as well.

Willow continued screaming, not wanting for him to find her core.

Dan grinned sadistically as he felt something- the familiar power of a ghost core. He found it, and his grin grew. He wrapped his fingers around it. "Ah yes... You're gonna die in just a few minutes..." He said, squeezing the core a little bit so he could get a better hold of it.

Willow screamed even more in bloody murder. She wanted to scream 'let it go', but couldn't.

Then, he pulled it out. He looked at the strange thing- it was almost completely black, and overflowing with energy. It had two lines on it, going from top to bottom. One was red, and the other was blue. "Look at it. Look at the thing that gives you all of your powers, everything." He said, getting up. He held it in front of her. "Look at the thing that will also end your life, in one simple squeeze..." He said.

Willow cringed.

Steve ran up behind Dan and hit him over the head with his shield.

Dan gripped his head, dropping the core in the process.

Steve caught the small orb before it could hit the ground.

_What just happened? _A voice asked in her head. A voice she thought she would never hear again.

_DRAKON! _She mentally cried out. _My core... It was taken... _

Drakon growled. _Transform._

_What? How? _She asked.

_Just try to transform into me. _He said.

Danny stared at all the Dan's for a moment, growling like a wild animal. White rings formed around his fist, and they spread from there to the rest of his body. His body radiated energy like he was nuclear, and the chains snapped in half. He growled again, and even though he was very exhausted and drained of energy for having been chained down for months, he was able to fly upwards, then at the Dan duplicate who had torn out Willow's core.

That duplicate was genuinely shocked, and Danny growled again, eyes red. He blasted the duplicate straight in the heart- well, core- and it disappeared. He took in a deep breath, then went after the duplicate that was in charge of the machine that was torturing Sam.

Willow growled darkly as she got off the ground. Steve ran over to her. "Arrow are you-"

"Not now, Captain." She said, her voice a mix of her and Drakon's, which scared Steve because it was a dark, masculine voice. "I have something to try." Drakon ended, and Willow turned into Drakon.

Danny had quickly finished the one torturing Sam, and he opened the case. He nodded at her slightly, before rushing off to attack the one attacking Bruce/Hulk.

Willow went after the one attacking Natasha with a feral growl.

She slapped him with her tail angrily, still not having any of her equipment back on her yet.

That Dan growled and turned toward you. "Hello, girl. No more ghost powers. I'm surprised you're still alive." He growled out. "My duplicate didn't manage to kill you?"

"Nope." Willow replied in English, but her voice darker and slightly more masculine.

"Looks like I will have to do it myself." He said, lunging forward at her, aiming his hands for her throat.

Willow stood up on her hind legs with a roar.

Dan growled, sending an ecto ray at her stomach.

Willow curled into herself, her armored underbelly protecting her, though it did get singed. She growled.

Dan smirked. "Oh, did the little dragon get burnt?" He asked, letting out a ghostly wail.

Willow covered her ears but didn't turn back into her human form like she had before.

Dan stopped the wail a few seconds later, then he growled again at his lack of progress. "You're going to run out of steam soon. Especially with that little trip into that machine." He said in a chilling voice.

"Actually, I'm at full power." Willow said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are trained to play dead, and our way recharges our bodies while we do it." She continued, spitting a fireball.

Dan easily dodged. "Ah. That explains it." He said, throwing some more ecto blasts. "That also means that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are almost as annoying than Valerie." He said, with a frown.

"Not all agents are trained to do it, though. Level seven and up, and there aren't many of us." Willow replied, shooting off more fire, also frowning, if a dragon could frown.

"Hmm..." Dan muttered, tossing a few more blasts at her while throwing up a ghost shield. "No wonder you're so damn annoying." He said.

One of the blasts hit her wing, tearing a hole through the membrane. Willow roared in pain. "Oh, fuck." She muttered.

Meanwhile, Danny had just finished that duplicate by using the glowing green chains as weapons. He froze up, looking at the remaining two. He knew Dan was smart enough to send a duplicate to fight Hulk, which meant... "That means... Willow!" He shouted, flying toward her and Dan.

Willow was distracted with both her father calling her name and the pain in her wing to notice that she had left herself open.

Dan lunged at her, pinning her to the ground.

Danny growled, landing right next to him. "Let her go."

"I don't think so."

Willow struggled, not wanting to set off a fire blast, unless she also wanted to get blasted in the face.

Danny growled again, eyes red.

"Now all you need is fangs, blue skin, and flaming hair." Dan growled out.

Willow growled, feeling very useless.

Both Natasha and Steve took out thermoses. Natasha took hers out to suck Dan in and Steve took his out to put the core in.

Danny growled and with a very precise shot, shot out Dan's hair with ice.

Dan's eyes widened, then glowed with fury. He lunged at Danny, and they started fighting. "Hello Dan..." Danny said. "You've killed my family and friends, and I had to get them back. Then, you came back. Kidnapped my daughter. Killed innocents. Kidnapped me for months on end, constantly torturing me." He paused. "Then you tortured my daughter. Then my wife. Then you took. Out. My. Daughter's. Core." He narrowed his eyes. "Damn you." He said, before letting out a ghostly wail.

Dan was thrown against the wall, in pain.

The chains around Danny's wrists and ankles faded into nothing.

Willow was slowly getting up when he started the wail, and she got back down to cover her ears.

Danny continued the scream for a few more seconds, before it stopped and he collapsed, passing out.

Dan was on the ground, recovering.

Natasha pointed the thermos at Dan and pressed the button that would suck him into the device.

Dan narrowed his eyes, as he was slowly being sucked into the device. "You still lost..." He said, getting sucked into it.

Natasha capped it and shook it with a glare.

Liliana walked over with the stumbling Sam- the room eerily silent. With Dan captured, his duplicate had disappeared. "We did it..." Liliana muttered.

Willow got up and stood on all fours. She looked at her wing sadly, the same wing that Dan had blasted a hole through.

Liliana frowned at the sight of it. "Do- do you think your wing will heal?" She asked.

Willow shook her head sadly. "It's not like a claw, it's the membrane. I only get one of those." She replied. "But Tony might be able to make something to cover it up." She added, turning human.

Liliana nodded quietly. She looked back to Danny for a second, still not believing how much power her father had suddenly had. Or how bloodthirsty he looked, when attacking Dan.

"I am _so_ filing for medical leave when we get back." Willow replied. "Fury can't say no to Coulson so... It's a good thing he's my handler. And every form like that has to go through him because he's my handler."

Sam nodded quietly, rubbing her wrists where she had been electrocuted.

"When we get back, we are all going to the doctors." Steve said.

"No." Willow replied.

"No?" Steve asked. "Willow-"

"I only trust Tony as a 'doctor'." She explained.

"Are you sure that's smart?" Liliana asked.

"About as smart as jumping out of a plane with no parachute." Willow replied. "I don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. medical." She paused. "Speaking of them... I am so skipping that appointment I have with them. They've been trying to catch up with me after a certain mission, but I just don't go. They aren't therapists."

Liliana nodded, quietly.

000

Willow sat in father's hospital room in S.H.I.E.L.D. medical. They had fussed over her well-being in the beginning, but with a well-placed threat on their lives, they left her alone. Her exact words being, 'If you don't leave me alone, I will make sure you have no home to go back to then I will shoot you in your sleep.'

Sam was also in the room, muttering about the stupid staff fussing over them being there. She looked at her husband, worry in her eyes.

He had a breathing machine on, and tubes everywhere. In the light, she could see the many bruises racing up and down his body. She could see new scars on him, and it made her clench her fists, wondering what had happened to him exactly.

Liliana sat nearby, watching the monitors intently. "You sure know how to threaten people..." She mumbled.

"They were being annoying." Willow shrugged, eyes starting to droop. Then, they shut, and she passed out in her seat.

Liliana nodded, frowning slightly, then she went back to staring at the monitors.

A doctor walked into the room, noticing how Willow had passed out, but he needed to check on Danny first.

Sam frowned and watched, having a million questions to ask the doctor.

The doctor walked out for a moment to go and talk to a nurse. "I'm going to need a room for Agent Fenton. I don't care if she threatened anyone, she needs to be checked out." He whispered before walking back in.

Seeing the doctor, Liliana looked from Danny to said doctor. "Will he be okay?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Well, he's in a coma right now. And we don't know when- and if- he'll wake up."

Both Liliana's and Sam's eyes widened in shock. "W- what do you mean?" Liliana stuttered, looking toward her father.

"He has burns everywhere, he's very bruised up, he has some broken ribs, and his throat- well, if he wakes up, he might not be able to talk for a while. All of those injuries- plus the mental exhaustion and how much power you say he used- when he didn't have it... It's hard to tell." The doctor said.

Sam and Liliana had horrified looks on their faces.

000

Willow woke up slowly, two days after she passed out. She tried to sit up, but found that it was impossible. Her eyes snapping open, she started to hyperventilate. Her eyes were wide as flashbacks from the torture she endured with _him _flashed through her mind.

A doctor walked into the room, the same one that got her put in here. "Agent Fenton, please calm down." He said in a calming voice.

"Calm down?" Willow asked. "I'm strapped down to an S.H.I.E.L.D. medical bed. HOW THE FUCK CAN I CALM DOWN!" She yelled, making the doctor flinch. "I swear, once I get out of this, I am going to shoot you in your arms and legs, carve a smiley face into your back with a rusty knife before ripping off your head." She said, her voice mixing with Drakon's to make it deep and dark.

That got the doctor running out of her room as fast as he could. But he did stop in Danny's room for a moment. "She's awake. But I wouldn't go in. She just threatened to shoot me, carve a smiley face into my back with a rusty knife, and then rip off my head. Also, her voice was really deep and dark sounding, like she was possessed." He said before running off again.

Liliana blinked. _Willow..._

The two ignored the doctor's warning, and walked up to the door of Willow's room- knowing the darkness in her voice was probably Drakon.

The door slid open with a slight hiss, and Willow could be seen struggling with the bonds holding her down on the bed.

"You know, I do _love_ helping you threaten people, but don't you think that was a _bit_ too much, Wood Girl?" Drakon asked.

"He has me _attached_ to the _bed_, meaning _you're attached_ to the _bed_." Willow pointed out. "Aren't you _pissed_ about it?"

"Yes, **but** they have a good reason to do so." Drakon pointed out.

"And **that **would be...?" She asked.

"_Every time_ you wake up here, you take _everything_ off and try to make a run for it." Drakon answered.

"Hello? Willow?" Liliana called out, trying to get Willow's attention.

"Huh?" Willow asked. "Oh, hey guys." She said. "Sorry if you overheard any of that... I know it sounds sort of creepy to have my voice changing like that."

"Oh hush now, Wood Girl. You _do_ know I'm a _male_ dragon, so my voice _has_ to be dark and deep." Drakon said.

"Wait a sec... Drakon's a boy?" Liliana asked.

"Well, yeah..." Willow said. "You mean the name didn't tell you that Drakon's a male dragon?" She asked. "Is it because I'm a girl?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't know. It _might_ be because you're an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." Drakon said. "_Yes _it's because _you're_ a _girl_."

"You don't need to be snappy about it, Drakon." Willow replied.

Liliana sighed.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked.

"Annoyed... And a bit tired." Willow replied, muttering something that sounded like, 'Dumm S.H.I.E.L.D. Ärzte und ihre Manschetten.' (_Translation: Stupid S.H.I.E.L.D. medical doctors and their cuffs._)

Sam nodded slightly.

"How is he?" Willow asked quietly.

Sam looked downward for a second. "According to the doctors, he's in pretty bad shape. They have no idea when- and even if- your father will wake up…" She said, quietly.

Willow frowned and looked at her feet.

"They said that he must've used a lot more power than he even had in him. Complete with all the emotions he was feeling- they said he was extremely mentally exhausted." Liliana said. "The words they used were 'he had a shattered mind'..." She said with a frown, looking downward as she remembered how broken her father was when they found him.

Willow balled her hands into fists as her muscles tensed.

"Now, now, Wood Girl." Drakon said. "You should calm down before a doctor decides to use that thing that makes people go to sleep."

"That doesn't exactly help my mood, Drakon." Willow replied.

Liliana sighed, frowning. "I hope he wakes up soon…" She said quietly.

000

Willow stood on the end of the rafters in the training room as Drakon, ready to see if she could fly with the hole in her wing. She probably couldn't, but she still wanted to check.

She took a deep breath and jumped off, spreading her wings. Then, the plummeted to the ground.

Liliana walked into the room just then. Her eyes widened in shock.

Willow landed on the ground with a thud. "I'm okay!" She called out, getting up and shaking herself off before turning human.

Liliana walked over to her. "You sure?" She asked.

"Besides my wing and..." She didn't continue that sentence. "Yeah."

Liliana nodded slightly, frowning. "Fury wants to see you." She said.

Willow sighed. "I just need to change." Willow replied with a small sigh.

"Okay." Liliana said, pausing. "You sure that you're okay?" She asked.

"No, I'm not sure..." Willow replied, looking down. "I feel like I'm missing a part of myself..."

Liliana frowned, also looking downward.

000

Sitting around a table were several people. Sam, Liliana, Steve, Bruce, Natasha, and Willow were all there.

"Alright, so who wants to start explaining what happened?" Fury asked.

Liliana frowned, unsure how to start. The whole thing had seemed like a crazy dream.

Steve started off. "We had entered the room and we had tried to convince Mr. Fenton that he wasn't dreaming. That's when Mr. Phantom came in. He paralyzed all of us and then tortured Agent Fenton with a machine that was supposed to force her to transform."

"He said it also worked as an excellent torture machine…" Liliana added in.

Willow nodded. "I played dead for a while, but once he went after Agent Romanoff, I snapped and I went after him." She continued. "We fought for a while before he cornered me, then I used a Ghostly Wail..."

Sam took this part over. "By then, the little paralyzation factor had dropped, but he made four duplicates to fight us all... One locked me in that machine…"

"I ran to go try and help, but one of the clones tackled me to the ground and he..." Willow stopped, not being able to finish her sentence.

Fury wouldn't take that, though. "He what?" He asked. "What did he do?"

Willow cringed, but didn't answer, the words just not coming out of her mouth.

"Some things are better left unsaid…" Sam said quietly.

"If it's important, I need to know!" Fury said angrily, slamming his hands down on the table, eye narrowed.

"They're gone..." Willow said, barely audible.

Fury, however, heard her. "What's gone?" He asked, brow furrowed.

"Her ghost powers…" Liliana answered, quietly.

"How?" He asked.

"There- there are a few ways to kill a ghost... _He_ used one of the most painful ones…" Sam answered. "He plunged his hand inside of her- and... He... He took out her ghost core…"

"If it was supposed to kill her, then why is she still here?" He asked, confused.

"For regular ghosts, it destroys them instantly... For half-ghosts, it has to be crushed... Steve pounded him over the head with his shield before he managed to…" Sam trailed off.

"Is there any way to put it back?" Fury asked.

By now, Willow had curled up into a ball.

Liliana frowned. "We... We aren't sure…" She answered. "We would have to talk to Frostbite... He might know a way…" She said.

Fury nodded. "What happened next?" He asked, getting back on topic.

"Dad got very ticked off... He broke the chains... And he started going wild against the duplicates... Destroying them a lot faster than we could even injure them…" Liliana said.

"I had turned into Drakon, after learning that he was still with me..." Willow continued.

"Danny let me out of the device, and then he rushed off attacking duplicates until he found the real Dan..." Sam said. "He used his ghostly wail, and Natasha managed to capture Dan... Then Danny passed out into his coma..." Sam said, trying to get the last part out without her voice cracking.

Fury nodded. "How soon until you can talk to 'Frostbite'?" He asked.

"As soon as we can get into the Ghost Zone... But Dan wrecked the zone... We'll have to wait for them to rebuild or... We might not even make it far enough to get past Walker's Prison." Liliana said with a frown.

Fury nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "Agent Fenton, why am I getting reports from medical claiming that you're threatening the doctors?"

"They were annoying me." Willow replied. "And one of them decided to cuff me to the bed."

"Does that give you the right to give them death threats?" Fury asked, glaring at Willow with his one eye.

"Yes, sir." Willow answered.

"What did you say?" Fury asked in a dangerous tone.

"I said 'no, sir'." She replied, slightly afraid.

Fury sighed. "Where is Dan now? And where is Agent Fenton's core?"

Steve held up a thermos. "Her core is in here, sir."

Willow grabbed the thermos once Steve pulled it out, but she couldn't pry it from his grasp.

Sam frowned, waiting for Natasha to pull Dan's thermos out.

Natasha took Dan's thermos out without a word.

As soon as it was brought out, it started to shake.

Liliana started to freak out, internally. "Umm... You might wanna try shaking the Thermos... Before he dents it..." She said.

Natasha nodded and glared at the thermos before shaking it.

Willow continued to try and get the thermos out of Steve's hand. His grip on it slackened and Willow, who was trying to pull it out, went flying into the wall.

She gasped in pain as the thermos shook. She felt light-headed and dizzy, and she felt pain and pressure in her chest. She also started panting.

Liliana's eyes widened in shock, and she rushed over to Willow- as did Sam.

Willow blinked her eyes tiredly as she started to shake slightly. Her breathing quickened and she put the thermos down before curling up into a ball.

Liliana frowned, sitting down next to Willow. "Are- are you okay?" She asked.

"What just happened?" Sam questioned, eyes wide.

"I- I'm sorry." Steve said. "If I had known that was going to happen, I would have just given it to her."

"I- It hurts..." Willow replied quietly.

Liliana and Sam both frowned. "M- mom... Don't we have a book on ghost physiology somewhere?" Liliana asked. "Maybe... Maybe that can help with Willow's core..." She said, quietly.

Willow continued to shake, though the pain started to go away.

Sam nodded quietly, trying to figure out what to do. Danny's core had never been ripped out- so she had never helped treat anything like this...

Slowly, Willow uncurled herself, but she grabbed onto the thermos again, clutching it like a lifeline, which, in a way, it was. She kept muttering things about how it hurts and how she feels, somewhat, empty.

Liliana frowned, and tried to comfort her sister. "We're gonna try and find a way to get it back in you..." She said.

"Does she need medical assistance?" Fury asked, looking at the scene before him.

"N- no..." Willow said. "Only Tony..." She muttered.

"But Mr. Stark isn't a certified doctor-" Fury started.

Willow didn't want to hear any of it. "Only. Tony."

Sam frowned. "That's it. I'm getting that book..." She said. "It could help."

000

Willow was still shaking slightly, sitting on a chair, waiting for them to find the book.

Sam was in the basement, looking around the shelves that were filled with books on ghosts- and ghost books. "Where is it...?" She mumbled to herself.

Natasha, being the good friend she is, went with them to help look for the book, and she looked as well.

"It'll have a title that's in a different language." Sam explained. "It'll also be one of the glowing books..."

Natasha nodded. "Which language?" She asked.

"The language of ghosts- Esperanto." Liliana stated. "Ghosts tend to know two languages- that, and English. The ones closest to the portal tend to speak English a lot more than Esperanto, though." She finished.

Natasha nodded.

"W- What's the t- title?" Willow asked.

"It's called 'Fantoma Malsanoj kaj Vundoj'." Sam stated. "Danny got it a few truces back, as a gift." She stated. "Translated, it means: 'Ghost Illnesses and Injuries'."

Willow nodded, gripping onto the thermos. Her knuckles were white from her grip on it.

Sam continued searching for the book, as did Liliana.

Natasha did too, eyes narrowed as she searched.

Sam smiled slightly when she saw the book, and she pulled it out. "Found it." She said.

Natasha smiled. "I can translate it, if you'd like." She offered.

"I can help." Liliana said.

"I also know the language." Sam said. "Had to learn it, having a half-ghost husband after all... Especially since one of his friends hardly speaks English." She said.

Natasha nodded.

000

Willow sat on the couch next to Bruce as Natasha, Liliana, and Sam tried to translate the book. Steve was standing behind Thor, who was sitting next to Bruce. Loki sat next to Thor and Clint was in the vents, as usual. Tony was nowhere to be seen.

Per Steve's request, Willow set the thermos holding her core down on the table.

Sam frowned, looking at the table of contents. The book was large- twice the size of an encyclopedia. "Fantomo Kernoj... Fantomo Kernoj... Fantomo Kernoj..." She muttered, scrolling her hand along the table of contents. "Ah ha! Found it. Page... 413." She said.

Natasha smiled slightly.

Sam flipped to said page, which had a lot of information on it. Some of which, was ruined, though. "Aww man... This is one of the pages Ember almost completely burned..." She muttered.

Natasha frowned.

"It still has a lot, though..." Liliana muttered.

"W- what does it say?" Willow asked.

"'Fantomo Core- Estas multaj tipoj de kernoj. Varmego kernoj. Glacio kernoj. Neŭtrala kernoj. Elektra kernoj-' blah blah blah. That's talking about the types of cores... Not what to do..." Sam muttered, looking further down the page. "Then it says... 'Kiel trakti forigita kerno...' or, how to treat a removed core. Hold on, it'll take a second to translate the next part..." (_Translation: Ghost Cores- There are many types of cores. Heat cores. Ice cores. Neutral cores. Electric cores-_)

Willow nodded quietly.

"The core of a ghost is a very, very, delicate item, despite how much raw power it contains. A ghost's core is as fragile as glass, and the tiniest shake of the core would make even the strongest ghost collapse in pain. There is one known way to treat the removal of a ghost core. Someone must place a new energy source into where the ghost's core was. Then, they must open up the ghost-" Sam began to read, before pausing. "Dammit. The next part is burnt off." She muttered.

Willow froze at the words 'open up the ghost'. She scooted closer to Bruce.

Liliana frowned. "I think it means a surgery of some sort. It must be too dangerous to put a core back in, intangibly." She said. "Wait! I think I can make out some of these words..." She said, looking at the page intensely. "'AVERTO: Al fantomo la kerno devas esti manipulita kun ekstrema prudenteco. Ĝi ne povas esti kontuzita aŭ tranĉitaj en ajna maniero, kiam oni denove ŝovis en fantomon aŭ seriozaj konsekvencoj, kiel perdi iujn povojn aŭ eĉ vojaĝo al Forgeso. Ectoplasmic energio kiu ne apartenas al la kerno de la mastro ne povas tuŝi ĝin, aŭ la fonto de tiu energio povas sorbi la kerno de la potenco en sin-ĉu intence aŭ hazarde. Unidirekta ĉirkaŭ ĉi estas vojaĝi al la homa reĝlando kaj akiri eron de la liaj, kiel ganto, por meti antaux la proceduro.'" She paused, trying to translate it mentally.

Meanwhile, Willow blinked. "... What?" She asked, thoroughly lost and confused.

"It means... WARNING: A ghost's core must be handled with extreme caution. It can not be bruised or cut in any way, when put back in a ghost or serious consequences, such as losing some powers or even a trip to Oblivion. Ectoplasmic energy that doesn't belong to the core's owner cannot touch it, or the source of that energy can absorb the core's power into themselves- whether on purpose or accident. One way around this is to travel to the human realm and get an item of theirs, such as a glove, to put on before the procedure." She translated. "So, in other words... No. More. Shaking. That. Thermos. At. All." She said, looking at Steve while she was stressing the 'do not shake it' part.

Tony walked into the room, not hearing what Liliana said about shaking the thermos. He saw the thermos holding Willow's core, and thought it held Dan. Walking over, he grabbed it before Willow could say anything, and he started shaking it. Violently.

Willow fell off the couch, curling into herself and gasping in pain as he continued to shake it.

"TONY!" Sam and Liliana screamed, getting up and running toward the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

Tony blinked. "What?" He asked innocently.

"THAT ISN'T THE THERMOS WITH HIM IN IT!" They both yelled.

Tony didn't know what that meant, but his grip loosened on the thermos and he let it fall to the ground.

Liliana dived after it, catching it before it could hit the ground. "Tony vi idioto!" She yelled, looking at Willow with worry in her eyes. (_Translation: Tony, you idiot!_)

Tony looked confused at what she said when J.A.R.V.I.S. translated it for him. "_She just called you an idiot, sir._"

"What did I do? Wait, what's even in that thermos?" He asked.

Willow was shaking violently and pale, sweating slightly as she was still in a ball.

"Willow's core is in that thermos, _idioto!_" Liliana said, rushing over to her sister's side- while somehow cautiously holding the Thermos.

Willow's chest felt like it had Hulk standing on it, making it hard to breathe. She felt very dizzy and tired, blinking her eyes slowly.

"Is her core like her heart?" Tony asked.

"Pretty much, yeah." Sam said, glaring daggers at Tony.

"It'll be okay..." Liliana said, trying to figure out how to help Willow.

Tony's expression softened. "Oh..." He started. "I'm sorry." He apologized.

Sam narrowed her eyes. "Don't say sorry to me, say sorry to Willow. Who you almost killed."

Tony nodded and knelt down so then he was closer to Willow. "Willow, I'm sorry." He said.

Willow, regaining control of her body for a moment, struck out her leg, aiming it for Tony's... Lower area. He gave a high-pitched yelp before saying, "Okay, I deserved that." Then, Willow pulled her leg closer to her body and continued to shake like a leaf from Tony's violent shaking of the thermos holding her core.

Liliana frowned. "Does it say anything about a core getting shaken around in a Thermos?" She asked.

Sam checked. "Nope."

"I- It feels like Hulk i- is sitting o- on my c- chest..." Willow said between breaths. "N- no offense, B- Bruce."

Liliana's frown deepened, and she mentally kicked herself for not knowing what to do.

000

Sam sat in the hospital room that Danny was in, with Jason on a chair next to her. It had been four months since Danny was knocked into the coma.

Willow sat in a chair, the thermos with her core still in her hands.

Jason frowned, now being twenty months old. He looked up to Sam. "Mommy... When's Daddy gonna wake up?" He asked.

Sam frowned. "I don't know..." She answered.

Jason frowned. "I want Daddy up!" He cried out, pounding his fists on the chair. "Daddy wake up!" His eyes started to glow a shocking yellow color. "Wake up!"

Sam frowned more. "Jason, it doesn't work like that-"

"Make it work like that! Make Daddy wake up!" He said.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Willow face.

As Jason was starting to throw a tantrum on how Danny wouldn't wake up, yellow energy was starting to glow around his fists. He continued banging on the chair, not noticing.

Sam's eyes widened in shock. Jason had never used energy attacks before- only flight, invisibility, spectral manipulation of his body, and intangibility.

Jason continued to bang. But, electricity was crackling from his fists now. "Daddy needs to wake up!" He yelled, slamming his fist down. "Now!" A blast shot off from his hand, and went straight toward Danny.

Sam's eyes widened in shock. "No..." She whispered, as it hit him. She didn't know what electricity would do to him, while he was like this.

Willow froze in shock and fear, her voice suddenly not working.

Jason looked up, shocked. He stared at his hand.

A scream was heard, and Danny's heart rate increased dramatically. His eyes snapped open, and he looked around the room nervously, not understanding what was going on.

"Yay! Daddy's up!" Jason said, the energy around his hands disappearing.

Willow blinked her eyes. _That actually worked... _She thought.

_Of course it did. The human heart uses electric impulses to beat. Did you not pay attention in Biology class? _Drakon asked.

_I didn't _take _Biology... Or any other class past fifth grade classes. _Willow replied.

Danny shot up, trying to take off the IVs.

"Danny!" Sam yelled, startled.

Danny jumped, surprised. He looked over toward Sam, Willow, and Jason. "Whe- where am I?" He asked, eyes narrowed. He was too surprised that he wasn't in the du- that place to tug against the IVs again.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. medical wing on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier." Willow answered, still clutching the thermos with her core in it.

"Wh- what happened?" He asked, still shocked.

"We caught him..." Sam answered. "It's over..." She said.

Danny looked a little shocked, then down at his _still_ indented wrists. He reached for his throat and touched it, wincing. "My throat still hurts..." He said.

Jason tilted his head. "Why?" He asked.

Danny looked at Jason for a second, shocked at how big he was. "I had to fight a really bad man..." He said, quietly.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"Because he was bad..." Danny said.

Jason paused. "Why?"

"Because he hurt people." Danny said.

"Why?"

He paused. "Because he wasn't nice."

"Why?"

Sam frowned. "Jason, your daddy just woke up... It's not time for the 'Why' game..."

Jason looked at his mother. "Why?"

"It just isn't." Sam said. Jason opened his mouth again, probably to ask 'Why?' once more, so Sam quickly said another thing. "If you stop playing the 'Why' game, I'll give you a cookie."

Jason smiled, and didn't ask why again.

"How- how long?" Danny asked, staring down at the IVs again.

"Since you've been gone, or since the coma?" Sam asked.

"Total..." Danny answered.

Sam sighed. "Seven months..." She said, quietly.

Danny frowned, looking at his feet. He could hardly remember being rescued. He remembered a little- Dan freezing everyone up, Steve hitting Dan with a shield, and a lot of duplicates... He remembered eating an apple. Thinking it was a dream. He remembered using his ghostly wail, but that was about it.

Willow frowned at herself, wondering if her father remember what happened to her core.

"It felt longer..." He said.

"It always does..." Willow muttered, feeling like she could relate to him, somewhat.

Danny nodded, frowning. He winced as he remembered being kicked. He reached for his ribs, and he looked down at his new scars.

Sam paused. "Willow, can you take your brother out of the room for a second?" She asked.

Willow nodded and stood up.

Jason stood up as well, and was about to ask why, but decided not to so he could get a cookie.

Willow led Jason out of the room, probably to the canteen to get something to eat.

Sam sighed. "What's wrong?" Danny asked.

"Willow... He..."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "He did what?"

Sam bit her lip. "He... He took out her core..."

Danny's eyes flashed green in rage.

A doctor walked into the room after that.

Danny glanced over at the doctor, surprised at his arrival. He narrowed his eyes.

"Ah, you're up." The doctor said.

Danny nodded, remaining quiet.

000

Willow sat in the music room, her red electric guitar in her hands. It was four in the afternoon, not one of her usual times she's in the music room, but she didn't care.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., play 'Until The End' by Breaking Benjamin." She said.

"_As you wish, Agent Fenton._" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, starting the song, Willow providing the guitar with her eyes shut.

Liliana quietly entered the room.

"_So clever,_

_Whatever,_

_I'm done with these endeavors._

_Alone I walk the winding way._" She started.

"_Here I stay,_" A voice in the song sang.

"_It's over,_

_No longer,_

_I feel it growing stronger._

_I'll live to die another day,_

_Until I fade away._

_Why give up, why give in?_

_It's not enough, it never is._

_So I will go on until the end._

_We've become desolate._

_It's not enough, it never is._

_But I will go on until the end._" Willow continued.

Liliana listened, staying quiet.

"_Surround me,_

_It's easy_

_To fall apart completely._

_I feel you creeping up again._"

"_In my head,_" A voice sang in the song.

"_It's over,_

_No longer,_

_I feel it growing colder._

_I knew this day would come to end,_

_So let this life begin._

_Why give up, why give in?_

_It's not enough, it never is._

_So I will go on until the end._

_We've become desolate._

_It's not enough, it never is._

_But I will go on until the end._" She sang.

Liliana continued to listen, not saying anything.

"_I've lost my way._

_I've lost my way, but I will go on until the end._

_Living is hard enough_

_Without you fucking up._" She sang before doing a guitar solo.

Liliana frowned a little but did nothing other than listen.

"_Why give up, why give in?_

_It's not enough, it never is._

_So I will go on until the end._

_We've become desolate._

_It's not enough, it never is._

_But I will go on until the end._

_I've lost my way._

_I've lost my way, but I will go on until the end._

_The final fight I'll win,_

_The final fight I'll win,_

_The final fight I'll win,_

_But I will go on until the end._" She finished.

Liliana sighed. "Hey Willow..." She said.

Willow jumped up and fell off the stool. "Ow..." She muttered, rubbing her head as she got up.

"Sorry." Liliana said.

"It's okay." Willow said with a sigh as she got up. "What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing much... Except for well, you know..." Liliana said.

Willow nodded. "Yeah..." She said. "I feel so empty inside..." She said.

Liliana frowned. "We'll be able to talk to Frostbite soon..." She said.

Willow nodded. "What if... What if this is permanent, though?" She asked. "What if I can never get my powers back..."

"Then... I don't know..." Liliana said.

"I used to depend on my powers on my missions... Not for things like invisibility, but the strength... Now... I'm about as strong as... No one on this team..." She said.

Liliana looked downward, frowning. "I'm sorry... If one of us had gotten there faster-"

"Don't blame yourself. It's only my fault it happened." Willow said with a sigh. "I'm lucky Steve got there at all. If he didn't..."

Liliana looked down, knowing what would've happened. "I'm glad that didn't happen..." She said. "You don't deserve to go to Oblivion..." She said.

"What's Oblivion?" Tony's voice floated through the room.

Liliana looked up. "A place that no one would ever want to go to..." She answered.

"Like hell?" Tony asked.

"That's what it is. Just worse..." Liliana stated.

Tony winced. "Harsh."

"I- I know... It's there because only the really twisted ghosts deserve to die and that's a punishment..." Liliana said. "But some ghosts... They send others there for- for... Fun..." She said, sadly.

000

There were five people (and a squirrel) in the Specter Speeder, going on their way into the ghost zone. Sam, Liliana, Saumo, Natasha, Willow- and the Thermos holding her core-, and Bruce. They had finally learned that things were safe enough to travel in the Ghost Zone, so, here they were.

Willow shuddered as the Specter Speeder hit a bump and she gasped in pain as it jostled the thermos with her core in it.

"Sorry." Sam said, looking outside to see that they had been passing over some rubble. She widened her eyes. "Looks like they really _did_ have to rebuild..." She muttered, seeing all the destruction. She shuddered, then turned back to the wheel.

_Diablo made a big mess here..._ Saumo said, frowning.

Willow was still trying to let her breath catch up to the rest of her.

Liliana frowned. "You okay?" She asked.

"To be honest, I'm not feeling so hot." Willow replied. "It feels like there's an anvil on my chest."

Liliana's frown deepened.

_How long until we reach Alpha-Yeti?_ Saumo asked.

"Not sure... Might take longer, if we want to be careful of turbulence..." Sam answered.

Willow frowned at that. "Das ist alles meine Schuld... Wenn ich nicht bekommen hatte mein Kern herausgenommen, würden wir gar nicht hier sein..." She said, kicking herself mentally. "Manchmal... Ich wünschte nur, er hatte es zerquetscht... Zumindest dann wären wir nicht in dieser Situation…" She muttered. (_Translation: This is all my fault... If I hadn't gotten my core taken out, we wouldn't even be here... Sometimes... I just wish he had crushed it... At least then we wouldn't be in this situation..._)

Sam and Liliana frowned. Saumo narrowed his eyes, knowing that Willow was upset.

Natasha frowned and got up before sitting next to Willow. "Willow... Don't say things like that..." She started. "None of this is your fault." She said. "And no one would like it if he had crushed it. Then you wouldn't be here at all." She continued.

Liliana and Sam both frowned.

_I wish I knew what was gonna happen earlier, when I told Tree and everyone about Diablo having Phantom... That way I could've told them... But __**no**__, I had to listen to Time. _Saumo thought.

"Natasha, die Sie nicht bekommen... Ich fühle mich so leer... So leblos... Ich fühle mich einfach nutzlos, Nat... Ich weiß nicht, was zu tun... Was ist, wenn dies permanent, was ist, wenn ich nicht meinen Geist Kräfte nicht mehr?" Willow said, still not giving up speaking German, even if Natasha was translating it. (_Translation: Natasha, you don't get it... I feel so empty... So lifeless... I just feel useless, Nat... I don't know what to do... What if this is permanent, what if I don't have my ghost powers anymore?_)

"You may feel that way now, but things will get better." Natasha replied. "And you are _**not**_ useless. You're one of the best partners I've ever had, and Clint would say the same thing." She continued. "And I don't care if this is permanent or if you get your powers back, you're still my friend and my partner either way."

Liliana was about to say something, but Sam beat her to it. "Willow, we love you for you. Not what you're powers are."

Willow frowned and slumped into her seat. "I just feel so empty and useless..."

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "Willow, look at me, what did I just say? You are _**not**_ useless." She said.

"Well, it feels that way..." She sighed.

Saumo bit his lip, wanting to try and reassure her that he knew this would end up better for everyone. But he knew it would be better not to reveal how seriously he thought, sometimes.

"I'm just an empty shell... A shell of my former self..." She muttered.

"Willow..." Bruce said.

"Willow, you aren't just a shell." Liliana said, crossing her arms.

"I feel like it..." She said. "I feel empty... Hollow... I just don't feel like I'm actually here..."

"But you are..." Liliana said.

"We're about to land..." Sam said. "Unless you can stand Antarctic temperatures, I would suggest putting on a coat." She said.

Liliana paused, sighing as she slipped on a white coat.

Willow did the same, as did Bruce and Natasha.

Sam landed the Speeder on a patch of snow, then she threw on her own coat. She opened the door to the Speeder. "Frostbite is a giant yeti creature with one arm made of ice." She explained.

Natasha and Bruce nodded.

Sam looked around the snowy landscape, walking out of the Speeder. "Frostbite!" She called out.

Liliana and Saumo followed behind her.

Willow looked around the snowy landscape for the yeti ghost.

A giant yeti creature walked forward, and into sight. He had white fur and he wore a blue cloak, with gold arm bands and a gold clasp holding it together. "Hello Lady Sam, Lady Liliana... Who are these people with you?" He asked.

"I'm Natasha, and this is Willow," She pointed to Willow. "And her husband, Bruce." Natasha pointed to Bruce.

"Nice to meet you three." He said, before pausing. "Where is the Great One?" He asked.

Sam sighed. "He fought the man that was terrorizing the Ghost Zone, along with the rest of us. He's in a hospital right now..." She said, quietly.

Frostbite frowned. "I hope he recovers soon." He said. "So, why have you come to give us a visit? Do you have need of the Infi-Map?" He asked.

Bruce spoke up. "We, uh, need some help... You see... Willow's, uh, core was taken out, and we want to know if there's any way it can, uh, be put back." He explained.

Frostbite frowned, and thought for a moment. "I am sorry about your core." He said to Willow. "There is a way..." He said. "It is very dangerous though." Frostbite stated.

"W- what's the way?" Willow asked.

Frostbite sighed. "Firstly, you must have the core. And it cannot be damaged in any way... Or it must heal first. It is a major surgery... You must be, well, opened up. The core has to be put exactly in the right place. Even if its a centimeter off place, it could kill you." He said.

Willow frowned at that. "Ich will nicht sterben..." She muttered under her breath. (_Translation: I don't want to die..._)

"It is a very dangerous process..." Frostbite said. "It has been many, many moons since the procedure has been done..."

Willow's frown deepened.

"We would be able to do it- but only if you wanted it to be done, Willow." Frostbite said.

Willow closed her eyes. "I- I don't know..." She replied. Too overcome with emotion, she tried to run and clear her mind, but she didn't get very far because she shook the thermos holding her core on accident. Then, she fell face-first in the snow.

"Willow!" Sam yelled, running toward her.

Frostbite frowned, running toward her as well.

Willow shook violently, a mixture of two things causing it. One, she shook the thermos holding her core, and two, her face was in the snow, and Drakon didn't like the cold. She tried to curl up into a ball to keep warm, but it didn't work very well, and she continued to shake and shiver before passing out.

Frostbite frowned. "We must get her into the medical facility." He said, picking her up gently. "And fast."

000

Willow groaned in pain, blinking open one eye.

The Thermos with her core in it was floating in a tube nearby.

Sam smiled as did Liliana. "You're up..."

Saumo grinned.

"What happened?" Willow asked. "I feel like I was run over by a truck, and I should know how that feels, because that happened to me once... Though the guy stopped once he figured out he had a 'passenger' on the front of his truck..." She paused. "Oh great, the figurative anvil is back on my chest."

Frostbite walked into the room. "You started to run off, but shook up your core while doing so. You collapsed straight into the snow." He said. "So, we brought you here."

"T- thanks." Willow thanked, muttering something that sounded like 'Drakon hasst den Schnee...' under her breath. (_Translation: Drakon hates the snow..._)

"You are welcome." Frostbite said, with a nod.

"Wait... Where is my core?" Willow asked.

Frostbite glanced toward the thermos. "Right over here." He walked toward it. "I put it in a stabilization chamber. According to our scanners, it has been having a very rough time... Who's been shaking it so much?" He asked, a bit surprised.

"For the record, I blame Tony." Willow muttered. "He mixed up my thermos for a different one... And he shook it. Violently." She continued.

Frostbite frowned, and narrowed his eyes at that. "This 'Tony' must be a bit... Idiotic..." He muttered.

"Actually, he's just an impulsive genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Willow replied. "Though he can be idiotic _sometimes_."

Frostbite nodded slightly.

Willow looked down at her feet.

Liliana sighed slightly, and Saumo bit his lip, nervously. _Will Tree be okay?_

Frostbite took a second to register who 'Tree' was. "Willow should be fine, if either her core is put back in her, or if people stop shaking the Thermos with her core inside of it." He said.

Willow nodded, then fell back to sleep.

000

Willow blinked open her eyes, waking up quietly.

Sam, Liliana, and Saumo all sat quietly in the room.

Willow tried to sit up, holding her head as if she had a headache.

Sam and Liliana rushed over to her. "You can't sit up yet." They said quickly.

Willow groaned and put her head back on the pillow. "Still feel like I was run over by a truck." She said. "Which, contrary to popular belief, _does_ hurt... _A lot._"

"They didn't want to give you pain meds until you got up, so they could ask you..." Liliana said.

"Oh..." Was all Willow said.

"Do you want some?" Sam asked, quietly.

Willow just nodded.

Sam nodded, and walked out of the room to find Frostbite.

Willow closed her eyes with a sigh, but she didn't go to sleep.

Sam came in a few minutes later with Frostbite.

Willow opened her eyes again as they walked in.

Frostbite had a strange herb in his hands. "Lady Sam told me you wanted pain medicine?" He asked.

Willow nodded quietly.

"This is 'Flore Prufrosto' or, 'Frostflower'. It is known to be very effective at numbing pain." Frostbite said. "It has to be eaten to make it work, but it's _very _cold- almost like eating snow. But, it does work. Do you want to try it, or something else?" He asked.

Willow thought for a moment, most likely having an internal debate with Drakon, before she replied. "I'll try it."

Frostbite nodded, and walked over to Willow before handing her the herb. It was an icy shade of blue, and strangely enough for a plant, it had no dirt on it. The ice was almost see-through. The flower itself was very pretty- it had white petals with streaks of blue. "You would have to pick off the petals, and eat the thing attached to the stem. That is where the medicine in it is." He said.

Willow nodded and did as she was instructed.

Sam waited a moment, to see what would happen.

Willow felt like her throat was being frozen from the inside out when she ate it. She shivered at the feeling, but she didn't say anything.

Liliana frowned slightly. "Does- does it feel any better?" She asked.

Willow nodded.

Liliana smiled slightly.

Saumo did as well, as did Frostbite and Sam. "Good." She said.

Willow nodded again.

Sam smiled.

Willow blinked her eyes tiredly.

000

"What's wrong with her, exactly?" Natasha asked once Willow was asleep again.

Frostbite sighed. "Her core is very bruised. It isn't in good condition. At all. And a core takes time to heal… As long as it keeps getting injured, Willow herself will not be in good condition." He explained.

"And it can't be put back until it's healed, right?" Bruce asked.

"No, it cannot." Frostbite said.

"How long could it take to heal?" Natasha asked.

"It is hard to say." Frostbite answered with a frown. "It could take days, weeks, months… It could even take years. Or, it could take much less." He said. "How long did it normally take for her to heal an injury such as a bruise?"

Natasha tried to think about it. "Not that long, a few hours, at most." She replied.

"Given the core's condition and that rate…" Frostbite frowned, doing the math in his head. "It should take four to six weeks. _If _it is not injured again."

Bruce nodded, as did Natasha.

Sam frowned slightly. _So, keep the core away from Tony. At all times._ She noted.

000

Willow woke up with a groan, feeling very groggy. She tried to sit up, but a slender hand forced her back down.

"Оставайтесь там." Natasha said quietly, and Willow just put her head back on the pillow. (_Translation: Stay there._)

"Разве я говорил, как сильно я ненавижу грузовиков?" Willow asked. (_Translation: Have I mentioned how much I hate trucks?_)

Natasha nodded. "You have."

Liliana walked into the room, a few minutes later.

"Потому что я действительно ненавижу грузовики... И я думаю, что я ненавижу Биг Бен, тоже." Willow continued, not noticing her sister. (_Translation: Because I really hate trucks... __And I think I hate Big Ben, too._)

"I still can't believe medical doesn't know how you survived that fall." Natasha replied.

Liliana sighed, feeling left out of the conversation.

Willow noticed Liliana. "Oh, hey, I didn't know you were in here." She smiled.

"I just came in a second ago." Liliana responded with a smile.

"Ah." Willow replied. "I take it you heard some of our conversation?" She asked.

Liliana nodded. "Not that I could understand half of it, though."

Willow sighed. "Just commenting on how I hate trucks… And I think I'm beginning to hate Big Ben… That's all that was really said."

"Oh..." Liliana said, pausing. "Is that Frostflower stuff still working?" She asked.

Willow nodded.

"Good... Maybe I should try and learn how to make the stuff..." She muttered- the last part mainly to herself.

Willow nodded.

Liliana smiled a little bit.

Willow looked over to the thermos which held her core, which was still in the stabilization chamber.

"Frostbite said your core should heal up soon..." Liliana said.

Willow smiled. "That's good. Do you know how long?"

"Frostbite said anywhere between four to six weeks..." Liliana answered. "Because of how bruised up it is, and because cores take a while to regenerate."

"I blame Stark." Willow muttered.

"We all do." Natasha stated, making Willow laugh slightly.

"It _is_ his fault." Liliana muttered.

"Though, it _was_ an accident. He mixed up thermoses. Not really a good thing, considering my core is in the thermos he shook, but still an accident."

Liliana frowned slightly. "True. Speaking of Thermoses... Where'd you put the one with _him_ in it?" She asked Natasha.

"I gave it to your mother." Natasha replied.

Liliana nodded. "Dad's been wondering where it was..." She said.

Natasha nodded.

Liliana sighed. "How are you feeling?" She asked Willow.

"Tired." Willow replied.

Liliana frowned slightly. "Side effect from your core healing..." She said quietly.

Willow nodded.

Sam walked in a few minutes later.

Willow smiled slightly.

"Hey Willow." Sam said.

"Hey, mom." Willow replied.

"You feeling any better?" Sam asked.

Willow nodded.

000

A/N:

Agent Fenton-Banner: Well, here's our stop. We already have most of chapter four written, too. BAI!


End file.
